One last day in Siem Reap - getting out of the city...

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The next day, determined to see more of Siem Reap than just the town and the temples, I rented a bicycle, left poor Øyvind at the hotel with a cold, and cycled through the countryside on the way to the Tonlé Sap Lake. It took only 10 minutes to get to where the road was narrow and lined by only sporadic thatched bungalows on either side.

This was a bit of an odd route, since many tours go to the Tonlé Sap, as well as tourist-ladden tuk-tuks, so I was essentially working rather hard to get somewhere not in the least remote. But what was lovely was that I could stop anywhere I wanted to admire the scenery and take photos. It was a lovely trip, the rice paddies were neon green, with grazing water buffaloes and distant palm tress among them.

By the time I got to the fishing village of Chlong Kneas, I had to start heading back, but I did take the time to climb up to a pagoda to see the surrounding views. The village was as sad as I had heard, murky waters where I could see people throwing their trash, fishing and bathing, all at the same time. But as usual, everywhere I looked there were kids playing and having a great time.

I gave the old lady who had watched my bicycle some money, and she gave me a coconut in return. I wanted to photograph the dusty, run-down market, but it just didn't feel right, standing there while tour buses passed back and forth to the sights, without any of the money ever reaching this community. Sometimes, I must admit, photographing can feel like stealing, or in the least, like taking something without asking...

So I rode back, and watched the sun set along the river while people crossed the road with bags of garbage and just flung them into it. «That's Cambodia!» I had to say to myself, and I gave them a huge smile as I cycled past...

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Photos

Home sweet home
The average home for a Siem Reapian, the views are pretty but the facilities arent too much to brag about

Playing amongst the trees
A little girl at play at home

Bridge over... the river
You don't need to much to get to where you want to go

Working on the river
Just what this man was doing, we're not sure of, but that he was working hard there's no question of

I'm coming home
another house by the river

Motorized work
its not to much motorized work at the fields, but what is sure does help a lot

A floating home
not a floating village but a floating home..

Long and winding road
The dusty road through the small town doesnt leave the locals much, but the tourists are haning out the windows of the bus with their "wow's" and "oh look at that" all the time

Time for the bath
but how much cleaner they get from their was, we're not sure of