Before the sun peeked over the horizon, the town of Kampong Tralach was awake, and so were we, ready for an early morning ride through the countryside. We sipped our morning coffee on the top deck looking out into the darkness, listening to the rhythmic chanting of monks who were presiding over a funeral not far away. The Tonle Sap River was dotted with many fishermen in the dawn light. The year’s first full moon, which is but a few days away, is the peak time to catch the small fish they were seeking, trey riel, so the river was particularly busy this morning.
We continued to add different modes of local transportation to our list today, and this morning’s transport was likely the most unique of them all. A fleet of oxcarts lined the riverbank, waiting for our arrival. Two to a cart, we sat in them like bobsledders facing backward and headed out on dirt roads away from the river. Golden morning sunlight bathed the green rice paddies to our left and right. Pink lotus flowers dotted the landscape in the distance. We were able to stop and walk through the rice paddies to get a closer look at some of the lotus fields before mounting our oxcarts again and heading to the village of Kampong Tralach.
In the village we visited a local public school. Three classrooms of children greeted us and showed us what it is like to be in the school where English and Khmer are both taught. We took turns with the children singing songs to each other, playing patty-cake and rock-paper-scissors, and exchanging smiles and laughter. This school has an English language program that Lindblad Expeditions supports through guest donations. Through these efforts, a second facility has been built and over 400 students are learning English in Kampong Tralach. Being able to spend the morning interacting with these children and to see how Lindblad gives back to the places we’ve been visiting was a highlight for many of us.
Jahan continued downriver on the Tonle Sap, backtracking toward Phnom Penh, where we once again turned north up the Mekong to continue our journey upstream. This afternoon we visited the island of Koh Oaknhatey. It is not far from the country’s capital city but feels like it could be a world away. We visited a beautiful and very colorful Theravada Buddhist pagoda and were able to ask questions about the pagoda, Buddhism, and what it’s like to be a monk from one of the temple’s monks.
We rode through farmland in tuk-tuks to a small silk farm. A group of women work there, raising the silkworms, spinning the silk, dying and weaving beautiful patterns in scarves and skirts. When we arrived back at the ship, a young man was bathing his oxen near the bow of Jahan, creating a wonderful photo opportunity for photographers. It was a scene that we all enjoyed watching, whether from the riverbank or from cabin balconies. Even that was but a small preview of what was to come. We continued up the Mekong River, and as dusk approached, we watched dozens of people bring their oxen down to the water to bathe. From sunup to sundown, today was a full day of seeing rural life play out on the shores of these two rivers.
