We woke up in a different world, with a deep red Mekong sunrise glowing to orange as it rose over the palms and grasses of the high riverbanks, with the gray-green waters of the wide-but-shallow Mekong carrying downstream with steady purpose. Small wooden fishing boats and stilted fishing camps were interspersed along the embankment, and we seemed to be so far away from the great Angkorian cities and temples in which we lived for the past few days. Sunrise and sunset are the most beautiful and the most active times on the river, so on the Jahan we always try to be cruising for “the golden hours.”
During breakfast a rise appeared above the river ahead—a rocky anomalous bluff—which has remained above the annual high water flooding of the Mekong for at least 1400 years. For this reason it has always been a holy site, as evinced by the remains of a few 7th century pre-Angkorian stupas set in the midst of a modern Theravada Buddhist temple. The “old way” of the dominant Cambodian religion of Theravada Buddhism was our theme for the day, which our guides Rithy and Vuthy presented on our walk through the many temples, living areas, and schools of the monks. The colorfully painted concrete statues of tropical fruits and animals, which are used as educational tools in the community temple, also captivated our attention and our photographic interest.
Back on board the local monks conducted a full blessing ceremony for our voyage, complete with Pali chanting, water blessing, and explanations from our guides. We had to relieve the monks of our questions to let them go for their morning meal, since they are not allowed to eat after 12 noon.
Jahan continued back down the Mekong for an afternoon stop at the rural village of Angkor Ban. Only recently connected to the electrical grid, this riverside town showcases some houses that are over 100 years old, which is a rarity in a country where most villages were completely burned to the ground during the Khmer Rouge domination in the 70s and 80s. Our walk through the stilted homes, livestock pens, and subsistence farming plot was fascinating in its authenticity, and we even had a chance to go up into one of the stilted homes to speak with the family that lived there. We returned to the Jahan through the temple to the river, where people and animal alike were bathing and cooling off as we cast off the lines and cruised down the last light of our first day on the Mekong.
