RV Jahan anchors in the Tonle Sap River a few miles upstream from the village of Kampong Tralach, and we disembark to be loaded aboard a parade of traditional oxcarts, normally used for transporting sacks of rice. Along the way, we pass by paddy fields, unusually green in this dry season as they are close to the river. We stop to view a field of gorgeous lotus flowers—a symbol, in the cracked, dry earth of March, of the rains to come in the Khmer New Year.
The principal reason for visiting Tralach is to drop by the local primary school (grades 1-6). Lindblad Expeditions-National Geographic has, for the past couple of years, provided support for three English language teachers, with plans for a school library. After greeting the enthusiastic young students—it is a holiday, so they are here voluntarily—they regale us with two songs, one in English, one in Khmer. We respond with a very amateur “Hokey Pokey” which has the little ones in stitches.
Back aboard Jahan, the ship’s good humoured and photogenic service staff entertain us with a Khmer “fashion show.” On a more serious note, we enjoy talks on Mekong fisheries and on current political and economic issues in the Kingdom of Cambodia. Late in the afternoon, we visit the village of Angkor Ban to view some unusual traditional homes that were somehow left untouched by the conflicts of the 20th century. We have a chance to meet village elders who experienced the Khmer Rouge period and survived to return to their serene life here on the banks of the Mekong.
As the sun sets over the Mekong River, our Jahan staff treats us to a lively “beach” party on a river shoal, complete with Khmer dancing and the lighting of flying lanterns to be launched out over the river. A busy and varied day as our expedition nears its end.
