11.10. The Cambodian Venice

Today was the first day that we could sleep in. It felt really good, especially since everything is now in order with the backpack. So in the morning, we enjoyed the pool of our hostel and relaxed a bit.

In the afternoon, we took a tuktuk to the largest lake in South Asia, the Tonlé Sap. There, we boarded a small boat and sailed out onto the lake, with small bushes of trees sticking out from the water everywhere. Normally, there is no water in this part of the lake, it only comes during the heavy rains of the rainy season, which is just ending for us. Today, we also experienced two of these incredibly loud and sudden downpours, luckily only before and after our tour.

After a few minutes in the boat, we arrived at the Floating Village. A truly functioning village with different streets and official buildings such as a temple, police station, town hall, and - believe it or not - a church! However, the church was a bit isolated from the main village. Overall, it was like a small Venice, just not as crowded and with the calm yet chaotic Cambodian atmosphere. According to our boat guide, the lake is incredibly important to the residents, it is their means of transportation, their source of food, and their livelihood, making it indispensable.