The fishing activities are very exciting along the Tonle Sap River as the full moon was only a couple days ago. As we wake to the rising sun and look out our windows or stand on the balcony, we see a flurry of activity going on around us. Nets span the river, boats shuttle along to and from with their morning catch, not to mention the cries of hundreds of children yelling ‘hello!’ as they watch us sail pass. The smiles on their faces brighten up the day, and we arrive at Kampong Tralach where we will embark on an incredible ox cart ride across the rice fields.
We load up the ox carts, preparing ourselves for what could be described as “the bumpiest ride of our lives.” As the wooden wheels roll over the dirt path, every rock or pebble feels like running over boulders. And yet everyone has a smile on his or her face, for this is the true essence of rural Cambodia. We’re dropped off at a local school where the children are all so eager to speak with us and practice their English, another highlight of the day. After a wonderful time chatting, singing, and playing with the kids, it’s time to embark the ship and move on to our next wonderful adventure.
Our afternoon brings us to Kampong Chhnang where we board smaller ships to cruise a river channel into the town. Fishermen wave eagerly, and we finally get the opportunity to be at their level, low in the water, to see more clearly what a day in the life of a Cambodian fisherman is really like. Upon arriving at the town, we hop on several small busses that drive us to a local pottery village and palm sugar plantation. A cheerful man demonstrates how he climbs the palms and collects the sugary liquid from high up in the canopies—a dangerous job, but surely an exciting one.
Next we watch as the villagers make clay pots, an extremely laborious job and one that they’re brought up learning how to do at a very young age. On average, one person can make about 40 pots in a day, and it’s fascinating to watch the process as the clay ball they throw on the table quickly morphs into a beautiful water pot.
We drive back to the small boats that do some more cruising around the floating villages near Kampong Chhnang, then we board the Jahan for a spectacular sunset cruise. A beautiful day in the Mekong, one of many that we will never forget.
