A Different Life
I traveled on Tonle Sap in a very “basic” boat, and was fortunate to find a local boatman, who was able to take me close to shore and “beach” the boat several times so I could see life there as it really was. The family living here supplemented their income by raising pigs seen center foreground. Some were kept in very small crates, others allowed to walk freely in the space between houses. Some of the crates were constructed so they would float tethered to the main home when the lake waters rose to the level of the houses. Because of the change in water levels as the water flows in and out of the Mekong, the houses on the lake are built on stilts to allow for the 8-9 meter rise in the water level during the rainy season.
A Different Life
I traveled on Tonle Sap in a very “basic” boat, and was fortunate to find a local boatman, who was able to take me close to shore and “beach” the boat several times so I could see life there as it really was. The family living here supplemented their income by raising pigs seen center foreground. Some were kept in very small crates, others allowed to walk freely in the space between houses. Some of the crates were constructed so they would float tethered to the main home when the lake waters rose to the level of the houses. Because of the change in water levels as the water flows in and out of the Mekong, the houses on the lake are built on stilts to allow for the 8-9 meter rise in the water level during the rainy season.