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Angkor Wat is without a doubt one of the top man-made architectural destinations in the world. Over 100 temples form the Angkor Wat complex

ANGKOR WAT, CAMBODIA

Dave
2004-02-22 13:19:45

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that far from Siem Reap - but once you leave the pavement the road is absolutely terrible. You can take a Tuk Tuk from Siem Reap but its really not recommended. Time to reach this village from Siem Reap will take between 30 to 45 minutes depending on how bad the road is and the type of transportation you take. The distance to the lake from Siem Reap is only about 16 km. Once you reach the dirt portion of this road you will see people living in abject poverty. This portion of the road is raised about the surrounding marshland, and small grass roofed homes are perched on stilts clinging to the edge of the raised roadway. Small children, some naked will probably greet your entrance with smiles and hand waving as you drive by their homes.

You can pick up your boat ticket in the town of Phnom Krom near where the boats dock. The Chong Khneas Tourism Boat Association sells tickets for $4/person. If the operator of the boat you are one wants to charge you to take you somewhere, refuse payment. Your ticket is already paid for - there is no need to pay any more money.

This is a seasonal market - made up of Vietnamese and Khmer people. It is spread along one of the inlets to Tonle Sap, Cambodia's largest lake. The boat ride through the village takes about 15-20 minutes and is in a covered "long boat". On both sides of the inlet you will see crudely constructed floating homes. Its basically a ride through the everyday life of the villagers. Things to keep an eye out for are the "battery" boat - in which you will see hundreds of heavy lead acid batteries stacked on its deck, children bathing in the water next to their homes, tall TV antennas near the start of this village, and even a Catholic Church. TV service has only recently come to this village and its only available to a few of the homes. The poor children who live in this village have a long commute to the closest school, and then once they return to their homes there ...