Life on the River

Today we took an expedition out to the Tonle Sap Lake area. This is Southeast Asia's largest body of fresh water and feeds  into the Mekong Delta. During the monsoon season the rivers that connect into the lake begin to swell and the size of the lake increases by nearly tenfold. The surrounding fields become flooded and becomes a rich breeding ground for this regions plentiful supply of fish. This body of water is the life source for nearly three million people.

It also the home to many displaced Vietnamese refugees who have taken residence up along these river ways. They live on small wooden house boats along the waters edge and are able to fish nine months out of the year to support themselves. There is a three month reprieve for the fish during their mating season and then only the fish you can eat can be caught. This changes their income significantly and they struggle in their poverty even more.

Anything you need can be found along the waters edge. Many markets float by and you can purchase your staples from any of them. Rice, oil, sugar and even some clothing items  are aboard these small floating vessels. We saw a pig farm where three large pigs lived on a raft waiting to be sent to slaughter. There are fish farms, alligator farms, and floating gardens all designed to sustain the many people living on the waters edge. Men and women were hand tying nets in preparation for the return of the fishing season. Mothers were bathing the children in the dirty waters and we could see all aspects of their lives as we went by.

There is a school on the water for orphaned and very poor children. They are often left here and  live at the school site where they are fed twice a day. We stopped and bought a case of soup noodles and took it to them. Here we watched as the women prepared lunch for them. There are seems to be more poverty in this area than we have seen thus far in our travels. It seems to be the only life these children have ever known. I had a small opportunity to teach about some of  the children's health issues but I know that there are many things they still need help with.

I know I will never forget the young boy who floated by in a wash tub and a stick. He had found a way to get around the water with his own vessel. As impressionable as the temples of Angkor were to me, so too are these impressions. And, while I have seen poverty before, I have not seen these beautiful faces.  My heart breaks...