Life in the Harbor of the Tusks - Cambodia blog entry #27

You may be relieved to hear that Friday's post will be my last one about my Cambodian trip until after the Christmas holidays. I'm letting you know now so that you will be more excited to read these last two posts.

Our tuk tuk picked us up one morning, and we headed off to the floating villages along the Tonlé Sap River. 

Tonlé Sap means 'vast body of fresh water' or 'great lake' in the Khmer language. There are many inlets into this large river, and many villages have been built along those banks. The homes are all built on stilts, since during the rainy season, these inlets flood, giving the appearance that some of these homes are floating on the water. 

There are four floating villages in the area around Siem Reap, and we visited the one named Kompong Phluk, which means "Harbor of the Tusks". 

We boarded our tour boat and began chugging along like the African Queen.

Can you say, "sketchy transmission".

I reflected on my privileged life and how my needs are met with minimal sacrifice, yet I complain so much. Even though I refuse to wear designer clothes, buy most of my clothes at Goodwill or St Vinnie, use the same old battered purse forever, use my cell phone until it doesn't hold a charge, and challenge every vehicle to roll a hundred thousand miles before looking for a newer used car.

There are a lot more sacrifices I could make, but I try to live modestly. But nothing is taken for granted out there in those tacked-together shacks on stilts over the river with a depth dependent on the dry versus rainy season. 

Every day must be a struggle. Living off fishing, these residents find each season brings a new challenge. When the fish are spawning, fishing with nets is illegal, but can a family live on what is caught with a pole? 

There's a public school out there somewhere among the water, but how many kids are committed to going? There's a grocery store, too, but can it be kept stocked with fresh food?  

And yet, I bet the families are as happy as those I've met in the Bush of Kenya. They may not even know that much about the outside world. All they know is their little world, and they get by day to day without much thought of what's beyond their watery home. 

Sometimes, I think they are the ones who are lucky, who are living their best lives, while privileged populations don't even know what a best life is.