Floating Village

This morning we were all templed-out. Even though we had already bought a multi-day pass, we opted not to take advantage of it. The locals were aghast at the thought that we wasted $20 on a day pass that we weren't going to use. I mean really, the look on their faces was complete disbelief.



Speaking of the locals, this is Nap, one of the managers at the gay-owned hotel we managed to find.

Nap put us in one of his friend's tuk.



We made a short trip to Phnom Krom where we hopped on a boat and sailed through the floating village of Chong Kneas.



The water level here rises so much when the rainy season starts that the houses just float on top of the water and don't have to worry about being flooded. There are also floating schools, markets, and even restaurants.





The boat driver apparently had his union break come up because next thing I knew, I was driving the boat.





We stopped off at one restaurant that was clearly geared for tourists. Besides serving food and selling souvenirs, it also boasted...



... a crocodile farm...



... a catfish farm...








... and a boa constrictor that I played with for a short while.






Oh wait, there is no picture of me holding the snake, is there? That's because when Peter was shooting video of me playing with it, I lunged at him a couple of times with the snake and he shrieked like no girl I've ever heard. He didn't want that footage to ever see the light of day, so he erased it before I could get it uploaded.



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One more thing I noticed about Siem Reap. This is a tourist village that is growing at a Las Vegas-style rate, but I'm really not sure how much of the wealth is staying in the local economy. I saw all kinds of shacks serving as housing and store fronts, but then right next door would be huge opulent hotels being constructed. Watch the video below (no audio) and see how the scenery can literally change in 36 seconds: