What a day! We awoke early to perfect weather on the Mekong River and a beautiful sunrise. We started with a quick breakfast. Some chose to start with Tai Chi on the deck and others chose to simply take in the beauty of the Mekong in the morning. Not long after starting our day on the Jahan, we were off on an adventure with a difference: We were all assigned our very own ox cart, with two oxen to pull and one farmer “at the wheel.” We travelled through the rice fields of Kampong Tralach and were truly immersed in this beautiful country side. We were able to visit the Green School, where children are educated mostly by local volunteers, empowering the students with the skill of speaking English, free of charge.
Upon our return, we were met with a splendid breakfast, quickly followed by a fashion show featuring the traditional dress of the local people. After this, our resident naturalist, Chris Cook, gave a presentation on the “Biodiversity of the Greater Mekong,” highlighting a number of recent discoveries!
Directly after this presentation, we travelled through a thinner part of the Tonle Sap River. At this point, vegetation grew dense and the river became so narrow that we were able to observe plenty of bird life close up, including a variety of kingfisher, egret and heron species. After a couple of hours on the deck spotting birds, we had a spectacular lunch put on by the talented galley crew.
Just when you thought you could relax, we were off again. Our next adventure was into Kampong Chhnang. Here, we were able to see traditional pottery being made as it has been for centuries, beautifully hand-crafted before our eyes. We took a detour on our way back to the Jahan which gave us fantastic photographic opportunities, as it was along the floating villages on the river and we were able to get up close and personal with the people who lead this unique way of life.
