Floating Village

Villages live on and around the Tonle Sap Lake. I took a boat ride through the area where one of the villages calls home--at least for now. As the seasons change from dry to wet families have to find new places to moor their homes. We even watched as men worked to move a home; this home was off of the lake. When the picked it up off of it's stilts they placed it into their small pick up truck. Can you imagine fitting your home in the bed of a pick-up? Those were the really tiny homes.

The sights of today for me were unfathomable. It just doesn't seem possible that people can live in what I deem to be poor conditions. As a rich westerner peering in without knowing a single soul I don't feels wrong to make judgment calls on how they know their own condition. Do they choose the live here? Do they enjoy this life even though it is a struggle? To me the village looked like a slum on water. Some of the homes were boats. Other's looked like flats on water. Some just had thatched roofs and walls. Others were better built with painted wood panels and humble decks decorated with flowers. Even in the slum there are the haves and have not's.
I thought I had seen poor here in Cambodia but today defied my imagination. The people of this area are expected to live to the age of 52. They make less than 500 dollars a year. The water they live on is polluted. I watched as a toddler squatted and pooped over the edge of his home. I've never seen so many naked kids! The whole morning I found myself whispering to myself in disbelief.

There were a lot of young kids maneuvering boats on their own. These boys looked like they were going to fall over. Swimming anyone?

Meet a friend of mine! Ha. I held a baby crocodile today. Yes, it's mouth was tied shut with (hopefully) a strong rubber band. I must admit I was intimidated by the little guy--as I should be. He surprised me by how soft he was.