Yes, I'll Take The Boat

So this morning I wake up in a new city and I'm greeted by softly falling drizzles of rain... and although it stopped quickly, the streets of Battembang, Cambodia are muggier than ever. I don't think anything has felt truly dry since I've been here - and I'm pretty much used to that. The journey here was one I'll not soon forget... but first, I'd like to post about my last day in Siem Reap.

Two days ago I got up, showered, relaxed a bit, posted some mail home, walked around town and then hopped on my bike. I took the main road further south out of town and gawked at the beautiful scenery, children riding to school (they go from 1-5pm), and small homes and shops. On the way back to the hotel to clean up, I heard a small voice behind me saying, "Hello. Where you from?" A fifteen year old boy rode up next to me and wanted to know about the US, how long I was in his country, and where I was staying. When we approached a small building he said, This is where I go to school. Would you like to see?

We took a small path off the main road and parked our bikes by a large temple. My new friend, Cee-Ha, explained that his family is from Battembang, but they had sent him to Siem Reap to live with the monks and study Khmer (their language). He showed me the temple, inside and out, introduced me to the monks and a few other children - and proudly walked me over to the school. This is the part of Cambodia that most don't get to see and although I was curious, the tourist in me would have never simply approached an area without any tourists... well, and expected to have a gracious welcome anyhow. This was different, I was Cee-Ha's friend and guest.

We talked and laughed and his two years of English meant that we mainly understood one another. In the back of the small village there were extensive rice fields that he showed me. This is my new friend and the monk he lives with by the harvest.

Although I tried to get his mailing address to send him something from the States, he didn't know how to write it and neither did anyone there. Sadly, but joyfully too, I left. During the time in Siem Reap I have seen so many tour buses full of people who get let out at a sight, synchronize watches, and go - knowing that they will be told where the next stop will be and for how long they can enjoy. This seems pretty pointless to me now - and I'm so blessed to have had this lazy afternoon walking around with Cee-Ha.

Yesterday my alarm awoke me at 5:30am and I was picked up at 6 to head to the dock to catch my boat to Battembang. The boat was $13 which is over three times the cost by boat, but I had heard that it was the best boatride to do in Southeast Asia. Well, it definitely lived up to it's notoriety.

Getting on the boat with my friend Jo, we both thought - this is a really great li'l boat and there's so much room. Well, we ended up seeing that they set up plastic chairs all along the center aisle in the boat and then also piled people on top of the roof. I think we largely resembled a clown car. Luggage was piled on the back end and the toilet dared not call my name.

The first half was beautiful but largely uneventful. We saw the sunrise over the river and passed floating village after floating village. There were so many "towns" without any actual land of any sort. People lived on boats and houses (that were more like flimsy huts) built on stilts in the water or on top of floatation devices. At the halfway point we had a stop at a *rest area* that was no more than a raft where you could stop and eat some soup, buy a pineapple or Pringles (yes, in a river village in Cambodia you could get your Sour Cream and Onion fix), or pee in a quaint little toilet. The *toilet*, I'll call it, was about 41/2' tall and nothing more than a hole in the wood. One woman got back on the boat laughing so hard saying it was cute, but that she thought the fishes were staring at her peeing. The hole went right into the river where children were playing and they washed their dishes and clothes. Interesting.

I was many homes like this one that I'll call "New Construction". I think in the States we'd boast waterfront property with 360 degree views... something like that. It was crazy!

During the second half of the ride I monkey-ed my way to the top of the boat while it was moving - I laughed so hard the entire time. As we got closer to the city we saw more and more litter along the riverbanks - piles and piles of it. The people, though, were so very beautiful. Children running naked waving, blowing kisses, and sticking out their tounges were delighted when you would mimic back to them. (Especially the sticking out your tounge!). There were fish jumping everwhere, including into the boat, and fisherman with their nets - balanced on boats or up to their chest in water. There was such joy everywhere and we soaked it all up. This is Jo on top of the boat with her UV parasol (which many people have here).

I will always remember this ride and now, I acknowledge that I would have paid anything for this ride - $130 would have been worth it. The joy in the Cambodian people is all around me and it feels so very good. This place has a happier energy than Thailand. At one point I contemplated leaving this country out of my travels, but I'm so glad that I came and saw everything - good and bad.