Refugees

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Quakers got the experience of being refugees today: herded into a small crowded fishing boat and being sent off to an unknown destination. We even had the boat break down and drift aimlessly on the water. Fortunately we were only on Tonle Sap Lake.

This lake has been described as the "Heart of Cambodia"and is one of the most amazing geographically features in the world. It is fed by the Tonle Sap (Tonle means river) the only river in the world that changes direction every year. When the monsoons come the flood waters from the Mekong River are so high that the water flows up the Tonle Sap from where the rivers meet at Phnom Penh. This deposits tons of silt and nutrients in the Tonle Sap Lake so it is one of the most prolific fishing reserves in the world. Then when the waters go down the river changes direction again and flows back to Phnom Penh and out to sea. There is major festival and boat race in Phnom Penh when this happens.

Anyway, today we were off to a fish farm in the middle of the lake which belongs to a friend of Ponna from DWA. To get there we had to go through a floating village and into the middle of nowhere. At the farm they had been waiting and immediately caught the days catch. Neary from DWA chose some good fish and then we had a delicious fresh fish lunch. It was certainly one of the tastiest and definately most memorable meal of the trip. Then on the way back the bilge pumps stopped working and the engine overheated. Lucky we weren't far and the captain called for his pontoon boat to pick us up. Soon we were back on land andn ready for our next adventure.

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Comments

[DAD/MUM]

envious
Amazing photos Laurie-- and interesting tale of surviving that ferry disaster. Get home safe and sound,then we can hear all about your love of Cambodia . Love Mum & Dad