I have been featuring lakes in New Zealand in my series of posts on lakes, and today my post is on a lake in Cambodia. It is certainly not like any lake I have featured. Tonle Sap is the largest fresh water lake in the whole of South East Asia. However, it is incredibly shallow for most of the year. I could hardly believe that the large expanse of water we were travelling on was only a meter deep. It is only during the monsoon season that the lake swells to more than 7 times its size! The lake then has a depth of 9 meters or more.
What is unusual about this lake is that it supports a floating village with homes, a school, and even a church.
Most of the people who live on the floating village are Vietnamese who have emigrated to Cambodia seeking a better life there. Three quarters of fish caught inland in Cambodia come from Lake Tonle Sap itself.
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| The school for the ethnic Vietnamese children. |
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| There is a church behind this boathouse. |
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| Two decidedly more up-market versions of boat houses compared to the previous one. |
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| A fascinating image of a typical mode of transport for a child to get around the neighbourhood! |
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"Look what I found to play with!"
For Watery Wednesday, please click here and for Outdoor Wednesday, click here. |
Some incredible pics and the 2 pics with the kids are cute!
ReplyDeleteAwesome shots on Tonle Sap Lake...
ReplyDeleteThanks for dropping by :)
www.1sthappyfamily.com
This was so filled with culture!! I loved every one of your shared photos!!
ReplyDeleteMy Watery Link, if you'd care to visit is here:
FOSTER'S TERN
Have a glorious day!
Oh my goodness...these are fantastic shots of schools, church and homes on the lake.
ReplyDeleteJoyce M
The photo of the little boy reminds me of the nursery rhyme that begins:
ReplyDeleteRub-a-dub-dub
Three men in a tub...
THE BEST WATER
With water they say that the best
Is clearest when put to the test;
No sediment there
To cause wear and tear—
Pure water sure beats all the rest!
© 2011 by Magical Mystical Teacher
Stream in Grasslands
What an existence. Makes me appreciate being on dry land, even if the rain is beating on the roof. And that water doesn't look that clean to fish in, either. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteA wonderful post about an entirely different way of life -- I love being out on a boat, but it is hard to imagine living all your life on the water. Just amazing. The kids look happy -- which sometimes kids with what we call 'all the modern advantages' do not. This post makes me think and I learned something painlessly == your pictures are great. Thank you for sharing.
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