The adventure begins!

As I type this, in word,  we are chugging along in our wee boat to get to the floating village we will be working at for the next few days.  The boat is more basic than I expected, and yes, below is a picture of the plank I had to walk to get on it.  The Cambodians were bounding up and down it loading on our supplies, while I stood and stared in horror at the very narrow wobbly bits of wood and the very murky, dirty water below. Ok so not enough to drown in but I sure as hell would have been mucky!  I decided the best course of action was to let someone else take my stuff on board and for me to concentrate getting myself on board.  At that point I was shaken from my semi catatonic state and realised everyone else was trudging back and forth with supplies from the mini bus to the waters edge, while I stood there like the honoured guest doing nothing.  So I collected some water from the mini bus and carried it down….well that was all that was left.

I have also put some pictures in of the village we left from. I believe there are some opportunities to buy property at knock down prices over here if anyone is interested!!  The houses are built on stilts as the lake level rises almost up to the entrance level during the wet season.  It is coming towards the end of the dry season here so the lake is very low right now.

The good news is with some helping hands I made it on to the boat with no mishaps!  Breakfast was served prior to departure…a cheese roll for me! The regular trippers immediately got themselves settled on the floor, while the cook became a positive hive of activity in a very small space sorting out dishes, pots, pans cutlery and food.  Somehow I missed the fact that we were going to be on the boat for about 7 hours plus!  Aferall we are not talking luxury cruise liner here, even of the smaller version!!  I think perhaps my mind intentionally blanked it out in my determination to get the opportunity to go to the remote villages.

I sat out front on the boat to start with as we made our way up what was at first a fairly narrow river with land on either side.  Then slowly the river began to widen until it became difficult to see the land.  The first floating village began to appear in front of us in the distance.  I sat for ages looking round trying to take in the scene and assess how it made me feel.  Sitting on the stern of the boat I could feel the sun beating down on my head and back, and feel it’s early morning warmth as we got closer and closer to the rickety floating homes, but when I looked to my right there was nothing but grey.  I stared mesmerised, struggling to understand why there was such a vast bleak blanket of grey, while still feeling the warmth of the sun.  I looked up in the sky to check the sun really was still there above my head.  Looking back out at the grey it looked for all the world like the edge of the earth, where the sky disappears and drops down merging with the grey murk of the river.  The rays of the sun above my head refusing to penetrate as far as the bleak worlds end.  Looking from the floating homes then back out to the bleak, desolate, grey I felt this overwhelming feeling of isolation and sadness.  To be living day in day out on a wobbly makeshift home staring in to a void of nothingness, with no hope of ever escaping, must be soul destroying.  I so wanted to capture the picture, but I knew my basic point and shoot camera would not do it justice, so all I have are my words to try and convey how stark and hopeless it looked.  As the boat keeps chugging along, I wonder what other emotions I will feel over the next few days.  Although I know I will see smiley faces and friendly waves (I have had a few already) from the locals, who make do with their lot for it is all they have ever had, and all they will probably ever get!