I thought I had a pretty good idea of what a floating village was like after my brief exposure. Today Stave and I decided to see more than the ancient temples to get a sense of what its like in Cambodia. Our "tuk-tuk" driver, Pe took us through the city to the other side and to the Mekong River and then out to a lake. We saw the homes the locals live in on the way. The are roofs and a few walls. There are hammocks for sleeping. You see people in them inside the dwellings, and just outside by the side of the road. From our balcony I watched a young man get dressed, a woman do the dishes and a child sleep in a hammock. No outside walls. The front of the dwelling was a business. People are riding motorcycles or bicycles. Children are dressed in white shirts and navy blue skirts or pants. I've seen many on bikes. Not uncommon to see two to a bike. I saw four once. On our way to the river and lake I saw a mother riding a bike and her baby standing up in front of her. There appears to be a sense of calm and balance in their mannerisms. I know I am romanticizing what I see. I see such basic living. It seems less complicated and more real. Agrarian society where the people are working to farm and fish and feed their families and earn a living. I've seen many women washing dishes in big pots on the side of the road and in their dwellings. The boat we rode in had the same form as the boats we've seen so far. Long and made of wood and very rustic. Our guide took us by children swimming in the river and small boats going here and there. Some were fishermen, some were women and children carrying their goods to sell. Being naked is no big deal for the young. They jump in and out of the water and hang out in the heat. When we approached the floating village I was struck by the distance between the homes. They are all quite separate from each other. One floating building is the market. Our guide took us there to buy ramen noodles for the orphaned school children and to buy pencils and books. We did and then actually delivered them. There is a floating school. It has a kitchen. I was lucky enough to be able to photograph the class and children. I took endless photos today. But, my heart sank at the poverty I saw. There is great need. Our guide also took us to see the alligator tank. A tourist attraction. As we land there, there are two boats with mothers and children in them. The children have huge snakes as pets and are asking a dollar to take their photo. A few of the children were floating in huge pots with paddles and snakes in with them. It was a sight to see. It is low season and the water is muddy and dirty looking. In high season it is blue water and cleaner he reports. But it is too high for them to be in, so they move their homes and go live in the mountain area. I really can't imagine it. Shoes are off a great deal of the time. Children often had no shoes on and you could see they had leather feet for climbing and running etc. Some of the temples had very steep steps. The steepness was symbolic to how hard it is to journey up closer to God. These kids practically ran up and down. When I get a chance to download the pictures, I'll post them.

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