Today we had the lovely opportunity of going out to the Vietnam Floating Village. We got up as usual, had breakfast, packed our day packs and were on the bus by 8:30am! It was a 25 minute bus trip down south through Siem Reap to the Floating Village. As you looked out the window, while moving on the bus it would go from superb massive mansions, to one bedroom houses made from bamboo cane, to people living in cardboard boxes on the street. It was pretty confronting, and that was even before we got to the Floating Village.When we got there we got given passes and had to walk down a very steep ramp to the river. As we walked down some lady was taking pictures of us, we didn’t know what it was for at first but then Mr. Jones told us that they would put our pictures onto plates so we could buy them, but we shouldn’t feel obliged to buy them as they would just scratch the picture off and use the plate again.
I think only one person bought one.
Anyway we got onto these very open boats and went putting down this lake through the Floating Villages. On either side of us, all we could see for miles was rows and rows of these floating houses. As we got closer it became apparent that the houses were first boats, and then wooden floors built onto the boats, and cane walls with stick roofs. It was amazing to see how happy these people were, even though everything they owned could fit inside one of these small boats.There were also floating shops, which were pretty amazing. There was even a floating water irrigation thing, where the people could get clean drinking water, and even a floating basket ball court!
We were told these Vietnamese people were refugees in Cambodia, and they could own their own land but not get citizenship. We were also told by our guides that in the summer the lake is 1.2 meters deep, but in the rainy season the lake got up to 12 meters deep.
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| Shaun gets a boat massage |
We eventually got to the end of the village and the lake was so big that it looked like you were staring at the horizon over the sea. We got off the boats and got onto a floating barge, which had a shop on it, as well as a type of pond for catfish, and a crocodile farm. There was also a little boy offering his pet python up for pictures with it.
We got back on the boat and got some amazing back and neck massages off the boat boys. They were really rough and bad but hey what can you say.
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| Josh (Blue Steel) and model friend |
We got off the boats and back on the busses and back into Siem Reap, where we went to an Italian café, and FINALLY had some western food. We got Pizza! :D
After lunch we had a siesta where mostly all of us went to the pool for a dip J. There were some very funny moments, like when Dana McMullen dominated Jen Williams in a friendly shoulder wrestle, and when Mark Panopoulos was penguin sliding and completely took out Josh Bailey, and Josh Ray from Arden got smashed on a plant trying to penguin slide! :D
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| Mrs Urquhart's new handbag |
After the siesta there was an optional trip to an orphanage where a woman from Nowra, Claire, vollentarily teaches english. On the way out we caught tuk-tuk’s, this way we got to see everything. This trip was also very confronting and emotional, as a lot of the kids on the Cambodia trip made a conection or bonded with the Orphans. Whilst there, we played a nice friendly game of soccer (the orphans were so goood!) and we were shown around the orphanage. It started to rain really heavily, so we played soccer in the mud J. It was sad to leave the kids behind, but we raised up to $280 to help Claire buy school supplies, and other things the children need.
We got back home soaking wet, and got our feet and shoes hosed out the back of the hotel. We had a great time eating (expensive) western food. Mine and Emily’s Table ended up coasting $228 all up! WOW! It was very good though because we got to bond with the other studentd that we hadn’t talked to yet!
That’s all for now, signing off from Georgie and Emily!!!
From The Cambodia Crew (insert cool hand movements here) ;)
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| Tonle Sap Lake |
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| Downtown Siem Reap |
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| Chres Village Orphanage School - soccer with the kids |
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| Duck-duck-goose |
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| Making new friends |
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| Cambodia Crew with the orphans |
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| Tuk tuk breakdown on way home in the rain |
After shopping at Tabitha, we had pizza for lunch, and some of us stopped at the ice cream shop on the way back to the hotel for some relaxation. Some of us decided to sleep while others had the option of going back to Tabitha, or visiting the Royal Palace. 
The Royal Palace was a good example of how Cambodia throughout history has had several religions. It was a fascinating place to learn about the Royal Family and its influence in Cambodia’s history. It was interesting to see the combination of Khmer architecture with the influence from the French Colonial days. We visited the coronation hall, the silver pagoda which had 5329 silver tiles with a 90kg gold Buddha. We finished our tour of the palace with a visit to the elephant house which now held hundreds of silver elephant statues. 
On returning to the Hotel we had free time until devotions. Following devotions we went to dinner which was Chinese and Vietnamese food. After dinner we all flocked to the supermarket to buy our energy drinks and salty chips for house building tomorrow. After buying the shop’s supply of Gatorade and other sports drinks, we returned to the hotel. 
