The lake’s not actually missing, but we missed sailing on it.
Two times we’ve planned to cruise northwards through Lake Tonle Sap in Cambodia to Siem Reap.
The first time the water level was so high that our river boat couldn’t get under a bridge. The second time the water was so low that it couldn’t get over a sand bar.
Both times we had to finish our journey to Siem Reap by coach, not the best way to experience a country.
Tonle Sap is the largest freshwater lake in Southeast Asia; the area is five times greater in the wet season than the dry; and its wildlife diversity is exceptional. You see none of this on the road.
Tourists are the life blood of Siem Reap, more than 2 million every year. Angkor Wat and the other ruins are the main attraction of course, but the lake is also popular. So after our two fails we decided to check it out from the northern end.
We got a tuk tuk outside our hotel, the Victoria, to take us the 15km or so to the wharf at Chong Khneas where large numbers of boats wait for tourists.
We bought tickets and were snapped up by a young guide and put on one of the small boats. Just the two of us plus the guide and boatman, although the boat would have held six or so.
Motoring towards the lake we passed floating villages on both sides of the river. And not just floating houses, there are schools, warehouses, workshops and shops although a lot of the buying and selling takes place from small boats handled by women.
The people who live in floating houses here are the poorest members of society as they don’t own any land for building or farming. Our guide said he was brought up and went to school here.
As we got closer to the lake we saw more and more patches of free-floating water hyacinth. We’ve got this in the Cook Islands and while it’s got a lovely pale lilac flower it’s invasive, reproduces rapidly and can be a huge problem. It looks as though it is on Tonle Sap. Out on the lake we passed family group in a stationary boat – the boatman was in the water clearing the weed from his propellor.
He wasn’t the only one with problems. We stopped while the guide talked about the lake but when it was time to set off again – we couldn’t, The engine wouldn’t start. Our driver took things apart, cleaned them and put them back together while all the time we drifted closer and closer to huge clumps of water hyacinth a long way from shore. And there were no other boats to be seen right so we couldn’t ask for a tow. Then, just before we drifted into the weeds the engine coughed into life.
Relief all round as we continued our next port of call, a crocodile farm. The crocs are native to the lake but there aren’t any wild ones left in this area. Just as well if you need dive in to clear weeds away.
These poor creatures are destined to become handbags or shoes. Not for me.
But our boat problems weren’t over; the engine refused to start again.
Fortunately, although it was getting late there were still a couple of tour boats at the croc farm and the guide hitched a ride back for us on one. Poor boy was so despondent that we tipped him anyway.
Well, we saw the lake, a wide expanse of muddy water, but we didn’t get to see any wildlife. It wasn’t a case of third time lucky, but another fail? Not really.
Looking back on it, it was quite an adventure. And the thing about adventures is they are good to look back on. At the time of course they tend to be uncomfortable.
I doubt we’ll be going back to Tonle Sap so we’ll scratch this one from the bucket list.
Never mind. There are plenty more great places out there so we’ll keep on travelling to find them.