31 May 2017

Siem Reap Day 2 (Part 3): Tonle Sap Lake

Siem Reap Day 2 (Part 2): Angkor Thom, Bayon, And Ta Prohm

In the afternoon, we traveled to Tonle Sap lake.  It took about 20 minutes to arrive at the wharf with tuk tuk ($10/return).  Then we need to pay another $20/per person for the boat ride around the lake.

$20/per person for the (private) boat ride only (including one boat driver and one guide) 

Omo feels like in Korea 

It was semi dried season, so the water level was quite low

This time around (April) was a semi-dried season, therefore the water was pretty low and the boat need to go very slow especially when pass across with another boat.  The water was as low as our knee height only.  However, the water level could reach two to three meters height in the rainy season (October).

At the beginning, our guide seems very nice and friendly.  Telling us some information regarding this Tonle Sap.  There are nearly 1 millions people live on the water here in Tonle Sap, the less fortunate people who cannot afford houses in city.  There are around 5,400 villages all together on the water living in the floating house.  In one village is normally consists around 130 families.  There are completed with school, Buddhist temple, and market.

Once the sad story building up, he then asked us to do some donation.  Which we don't mind at all.  He mentioned that there are lots of young kids in the school that can't afford rice and food.  Then he said he will take us to the local floating market for us to buy something, then heading to the school to give it to the kids.

When we arrived at the market, the seller greeted us nicely and encouraged us to buy a sack of rice (50 kg) that costs $50.  He mentioned that it was the best quality import rice.  (I don't want to be harsh but, why he need to sell the super best quality of rice in this poor area.  It doesn't make sense.  How can they can even afford it?  Or they just mean to sell it for tourists? I was just purely confused).  At that time, we only had some spare money of $10-20 in our pocket.  Honestly speaking, I'm a person who always do donation in any form back home.  However, today was our last day holiday, so you know our money left abit that enough for taxi ride to the airport.  That broke as we got robbed in Vietnam in our very first day of holiday.

Therefore, we felt sorry that we can't afford that sack of rice and we explained our money condition.  The guy said that they accept any currency.  Then, he pushed us to actually borrow our guide and just return to him after we withdraw from ATM at the city.  What!!!  Of course we don't want to do so.  We still kindly want to donate something to those poor kids, so we said is there anything cost around $10.  The guy rudely reply to us yeah, water!!!  But that's not food.  The tone of voice and his body language started to change become harsh and offensive.  Then we saw canned sardine about half dozen of it.  It costs $12, so we took that and about to pay at the counter, in the same time he with his scornfully face said that the people here are eating fish everyday (and yet you give fish to them!!).  But I just had a good intention to donate, regardless what it was.

From the market, he then took us to school to meet the kids and to give our canned sardine as our donation.  Then again, after we left, I thought he will take us touring around somewhere else.  But another let down happened.  Our guide said that the water level is too low for the big boat to go any further inside the village.  Therefore, we need to pay an extra $20 for the smaller boat.  You know what, our good mood has completely gone.  So, we decided to just heading back home.

Basically, this boat trip was only took us to do some donation, stopping at the market and school.  Not anywhere else, like I saw some other Korean tours that they stop at restaurant and viewing from the top platform.  What a sad tour.

Samlor Machu Kreung - not as good as we had in Phnom Pehn 

That night, we had our last dinner in Siem Reap at the hotel.  

Stay tuned for the next blog somewhere in the big world:

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