Day 6 - 8.12 2014 Packing - last breakfast of fruit in the park along the river and taxi off to Don Muang Airport for our flight to Siem Reap, Cambodia. The hour long trip gave us the opportunity to see the modern built-up city of Bangkok. Lots of high rises and lots of building going on. Traffic congestion seems to be an issue all over the world. Arriving in Siem Reap after an hour flight reminded us of the Thailand we visited 15 years ago ....both in terms of the buildings and surroundings and also the people. Always great to see your name on a board for your airport pick-up ...and the hotel being much nicer than imagined. Motherhome Inn proved to be the best find EVER ! About 2 hours later Ricki arrived from Hanoi ...happy days. Supper and cocktails and lots of chatting rounded off a chilled day. Day7- 9.12.2014 Today a chill day is on the menu. After a super huge breakfast at the hotel, lounging around the sparkling pool seemed like the right option. Tough life ...but someone has to live it ! Did a bit of research into the Angkor Temple Tours, to plan the next couple of days. Lots to see here ! Day 8 - 10.12.2014 After a great breakfast and a bit of relaxing at the pool, we set off the 40+kms journey through the countryside to a floating village , Komphong Kleang, on the shores of Cambodias and Asia's biggest lake ...Tonle Sap Lake. It is not yet on the main tourist map, but is getting there, as the other floating villages are becoming overrun with tourists. On the way we stopped for a roadsie snack - rice and black beans with coconut milk cooked in a piece of bamboo. You strip down the bamboo and reveal very sticky and slightly sweet rice and beans. Very filling indeed ! We arrived at the fishing village, with its wooden houses on the side of the lake on very high poles , to ensure they are not flooded in the wet monsoon season. It is incredible to think that the waterlevels rise by about 3m and the road we are driving on is then a canal for boats...a Venice without any streets. The converted tourist boat takes us bout on the canals, past fish farms to the great expanse of the lake. In a bay just before the lake, we pass through the floating village. Amazing to think that this community lives only on their boats, houseboats and platforms. Even the school is a converted boat. Traders float along in longboats in the village selling their wares to the villagers. Families living in very confined spaces and children having very little room to play. Such a different life ! The colourful decorations and pots with plants gave it a gypsey caravan feel. After having been assured that there are no crocodiles nor other dangerous fish in this lake, The Boys decided to take a dip in Asia's biggest lake. It dies look like an ocean, as one cannot see the shore on the other end. A day later another guide seemed to think there were still crocodiles in the lake ....luckily we did not get to meet them. We pass many boats on their way home from the day's fishing on the lake ...with fish, with snails and with seagrass. Others are putting out small crayfish traps and fish nets. As with all fishing communities ...to me it looks like a tough way to make a living. And this was on a day with good weather ! Before driving home we walked through the fishing village, observed some of the day to day living, some of the food being prepared, some of us tried some snake (not me ! not that intrepid), marvelled at the many children and the houses on stilts without doors and limited privacy, wondered where the fresh drinking water comes from and what sanitation exists, how elderly people cope with the steep staircases (which are more ladders than stairs) and wondered what life must be like if you are born in this environment. Couldn't resist staying for the wonderful sunset over the mangrove forests ...magical...really magical.