Floating fishing village on Tonlé Sap Lake

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Floating fishing village on Tonlé Sap Lake

May 31, 2010 in Cambodia

Tonlé Sap Lake

Tonlé Sap Lake is a unique freshwater lake located about 17km outside of Siem Reap, Cambodia. Not only is it the largest freshwater lake in South-East Asia, but it also ranks as one of the most productive fishing lakes in the world. Plus, it has the added feature of Chong Khneas, a floating fishing village.

What to expect

Chong Khneas is made up of more than one hundred floating shanties. The people live a very primitive life, making the best of what they have. In the village, you can find a small floating basketball court, a floating church, and also one of the most famous elementary schools in Cambodia. Many children paddle to school in a little disk that they sit in, almost like a small saucer. Inside the school, young students get some instruction and practice learning to read and write. The students also help each other – I watched a young girl, maybe five years old, taking the writing hand of a younger student and guiding her hand motion to form written words in her notebook.

Paddling to School

Unique features

Tonlé Sap Lake has two rare qualities. First, the flow of the lake/river changes direction twice a year as the area that forms the lake expands and contracts with the seasons. During the dry season, from about mid-November to May, Tonlé Sap drains into the Mekong River in Phnom Penh. When the wet season rains begin in June, Tonlé Sap backs up and expands to form a gigantic lake. During winter, the lake is a meter deep and 3,000 square km. In contrast, when the water from the Mekong Delta reverses its flow and pushes towards the lake, it averages nine meters in depth and approximately 14,000 square km.

Tonlé Sap’s other feature is that it is home to hundreds of different species of birds and fish as well as otters, crocodiles, turtles, and many other animals that inhabit the brown, murky, waters of the mangrove forest.

Fresh Catch

How to get there

If you take a boat from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap, you will go past the floating village and dock at Chong Khneas. Although this will not allow for a full viewing, you can get a decent glimpse. From Siam Reap, the easiest way to get to Chong Khneas is to take a taxi or tuk-tuk; we opted for the thirty-minute tuk-tuk ride to the river basin. From there, locals will be available to take you out to the floating fishing village from the docks. The ride up the tributary to Tonlé Lake and back takes a couple of hours.

Tags: cambodia, Chong Khneas, fish, fishing, freshwater lake, school, Siam Reap, Tonlé Sap Lake No Comments »

by Kurt Wahlgren

Varanasi, India and the Ganges River

February 22, 2010 in India

Varanasi, or as it was once known, Benaras, is considered a place of pilgrimage for many Hindus, and it is one of the oldest inhabited cities in the world. The main reason for any travel to Varanasi, by Hindu or tourist, is the Ganges River. The Ganga, as it is pronounced in Hindi and Sanskrit, is believed by Hindus to be personified as a goddess.

What to expect

Once in Varanasi, any backpacker will quickly learn that this ancient city embodies the best and worst aspects of India today. Watching hundreds of pilgrims come slowly down the ghats (long series of steps) to bathe in the Ganges, is a spectacular sight. Being on the river at 5am for sunrise adds to the experience – the sun compounds the drama. It is as if the sun comes up in slow motion on purpose, to gradually reveal timeless sights and sounds.

The river passage I took started at Dasaswamedh Ghat and proceeded up to Manikarnika Ghat, where we observed cremations in progress. After a death, the body is dipped in the Ganges and prepared for cremation by the eldest son. After the process is complete, the ashes are scattered in the river.

Not all Hindus are cremated though. Some people, such as young children and pregnant women, are wrapped in cloth weighted with stones and placed into the Ganges. It is not uncommon for these bodies to later wash up on shore.

City streets

Many great writers have been inspired by Varanasi, but Mark Twain described the city in a concise manner.Â He stated, “Benaras is older than history, older than tradition, older even than legend, and looks twice as old as all of them put together!”

Varanasi, India - City on the Ganges

Any first impressions are overshadowed by the poverty. Begging is very common. Near the Ganges, one or many locals will be persistently soliciting you at all times. The city streets are a complex mosaic of people, rickshaws, animals, and cars, all moving in different directions. Intersections are dominated by the honking of horns and each person or vehicle inching toward their desired outlet. For a westerner it seems like absolute chaos, but after observing for a while, some kind of indescribable order becomes apparent, and it’s beautiful in its own way. Walk out into the traffic, and you will notice that the mess of vehicles, animals, and motorcycles will smoothly flow around you like a riverÂ splitting around a boulder.

Washing in the Ganges - Varanasi, India

Getting to Varanasi

Varanasi is pretty well connected by a number of trains and bus lines The main cities connected to Varanasi by train are Delhi, Agra, and Mumbai. Varanasi is served by two different train stations, so make sure you check which one you need!

A great way to get around this part of India, and a technique that is favoured by many tourists, is to hire a personal driver. This is by far the best way of transportation; it’s safe, reliable, and inexpensive to hire a driver for a week or more. Your driver will stay in dormitories at your hostel or hotel and be willing to take you anywhere you want, day or night.

However you choose to travel, whether using a driver, travelling by train, or both (as I did during my time in India), you’ll have a fantastic and enriching time in Varanasi.

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by Kurt Wahlgren

Taiwan’s Taroko Gorge

December 7, 2009 in Taiwan

On the eastern coast of Taiwan sits the beautiful city of Hualien. The Spanish came here to mine for gold in the early 1600s, but it was not until around 150 years later that the first permanent settlement began in the rocky coastal terrain. Hualien is a small city that is mainly known as being a starting point for anyone visiting Taroko National Park. Inside the park lies Taroko Gorge, a 19km-long canyon that twists and turns through jagged cliffs. Today, Hualien has a listed population of just over 100,000 residents.

Taroko Gorge was established as a national park while Taiwan was still under Japanese rule in the 1930s, and is arguably the top tourist destination on the island. Getting to Taroko Gorge is not difficult at all. If you are coming from Taipei, you can get a direct two-hour train to Hualien; the best time to arrive is during daylight. Try to get your train ticket for the left-hand side of the train as the tracks follow the coastline for a majority of the ride and offer excellent views of the ocean.

Sights in Taroko National Park

Known as Ihla Formosa, or beautiful island, Taroko Gorge does not disappoint. Onlookers are drawn to the pristine blue water of the Liwu River, which knifes its way through the canyon walls. There are many areas to explore in the canyon, such as the hiking trails. Many are marked “closed”, but that does not deter backpackers from testing them out. A thick layer of fog will often blanket the top of the gorge and create stunning effects. For the animal enthusiast, Taroko Gorge offers a variety of birds and wildlife: the park is even home to several species of boars.

Hualien Taroko Gorge ocean

Hualien Hotels and hostels

Finding accommodation in Hualien is very easy, even on weekends. Don’t worry about booking in advance as many Hualien hotels are within a short walking distance from the train station. For travelers on a budget, Hualien also offers several formidable hostels.

Transport and Taroko Gorge tours

There are three main options for getting to Taroko Gorge. The first option is to sign up and ride one of the tour buses lined up outside the station. Several companies will compete for your business to charter you to the gorge. This approach is easy but lacks the freedom your average backpacker desires. Also, most of the tours are in Mandarin.

Hualien Taiwan Taroko Gorge canyon Second on the list is to rent a scooter. The gorge is only twenty minutes from Hualien and many tourists feel this is a great option for seeing the gorge. You may not be able to rent a scooter without providing an adequate Taiwanese operating license, but it is still worth a shot.

Finally, finding a taxi is not difficult at all. There are several drivers who speak English and are more than welcome to take you to stunning lookout points along the coast as well as the gorge. A full eight-hour day with a personal chauffeur will run to around US$20. Taxi drivers can take you to beautiful beaches and other non-touristy areas that are located down slim mountain pass roads, too narrow for a bus to navigate.

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