We set off early in the morning for our boat trip from Siem Reap to Battambang. We had our tickets, and we ready at 6.30 for our pickup between 6.30 and 7. Just after 7 we were picked up by tuk tuk and taken to the starting point. The tuk tuk then got more people and the crowd at the starting point increased. They kept checking their lists and counting us until we had the right number. And they had gathered us all (about 40) by the starting time of 7.30.
Then, we needed to get to the boat. A minivan appeared and took about 8 people. Phonecalls started happening, and some people were loaded into tuk tuks. Finally a bus arrived with just enough seats for the remaining people. We then were driven through the backstreets to a house where we exchanged our ticket from the travel agent for a ticket for the boat. Finally we headed out quite a way to a canal where the boat was. Finally, about 9am we were all loaded into the boat, with all our accompanying baggage.
This is a boat similar to the one we were on, but with about 1/4 of the number of people. We had people on the roof as well. And not a life jacket in sight.
Some boats near our departure point
Floating villages
Fisherman
A particularly choice part of the waterway- about a km of packed rubbish, dead pigs, old TVs etc.
We spent about an hour churning through mud and rubbish.
Then the river cleared up a lot, but the whole way was strewn with rubbish, and they continued to dump everything in the river
The trip ended about 4pm. It was a long uncomfortable day. We saw some extremely poor people living in filthy conditions. It made us appreciate how fortunate we are.
I really recommend the trip as insight into the real Cambodia.
This was our boat at the lunch break. At the start of the day it had no plastic curtains. Then it poured with rain and we all got wet. We stopped at a floating shop and bought plastic, and stapled it on.
