We parted company with our local guide and driver last night and met up with their replacements who had driven down from Siem Reap in the morning. Bus was a bit smaller so we couldn't all have a window each but it was fine. We had about 150kms to travel today and the first stop was a 12th century stone bridge affectionately known as the Naga Bridge as it had a 9 headed Naga (snake) at the entrance. The largest vehicle allowed across now is the Tuk Tuk. No mortar or concrete in the bridge. There were once 24 of them along the road from Angkor Wat when it was the capital but now there are only 11.

After a short stop and a 'happy’ toilet stop we were off to Tonle Sap Lake, the largest lake in SE Asia. This lake during the dry season is 2,700 sq kms and 1-2m deep but during the wet monsoon season it expands to up to 16,000 sq kms and up to 9m deep. During the dry season the Mekong River flows into it but during the wet season the lake flows into the Mekong River causing the river to flow backwards.

To get to the lake we drove through a very long village on a raised road. All the houses are on stilts and while some of them can remain during the wet season some of them have to move to higher ground. The road we were on would be underwater. The income for the locals is from fishing, however during the wet season they are not allowed to fish commercially as this is the spawning season. They are still allowed to catch fish for their own consumption however. During the wet season motor bikes are kept in their houses, larger vehicles are moved to higher ground and animals (oxen, buffalo etc) are moved to the temple for safe keeping and feeding. In addition to the 4 million people that live around the lake there are about 1 million people that live on it.

There is everything you can think of on the lake; stores, people selling food from house to house (or boat to boat), petrol station, schools, Norwegian sponsored floating doctor and clinic and no doubt more that we did not see. We set out on the lake in a local boat so we could get a close, almost invasive, look at their way of life. Our guide told us that should we fall in the lake to keep our mouths closed!

Lunch that day was on the move as we purchased a lunch box or chips etc in Kampong Tom before leaving.

After the lake we headed for Siem Reap where a few of us found a local laundry ($2 per kilo) and walked into the city which was not far. We were directed by the guide to a good place called Viva for margaritas and other cocktails. It was a Mexican place where the drinks were better than food. We renamed the place Margaritaville. You, as readers, had to earlier suffer the blog being duplicated as a result of the margaritas from here. Margaritaville was right opposite the Old Market and just a block away from BAR STREET. It was also close to the Ecstatic Pizza Joint which we had been cautioned about. We ate at the NEST Restaurant later that night and got back to hotel at a reasonable hour as we have a 3.45am wake up call in the morning.