Sept 29th, 2007By Usha Raja
Chennai Online (Tamil Nadu, India)
Cambodian Kaleidoscope - 7 Places of Interest
The Tonle Sap river, which is in Siem Reap, resembles a sea. The nation’s lake is one of the geographical wonders of the world. It is an ecological marvel with its extraordinary biodiversity and hydrology.
During the rains, the lake swells and inundates the neighbouring forests and makes the soil fertile for cultivation. The silt deposits increases the agricultural produce by leaps and bounds. It is also South East Asia’s largest fresh water fishing ground. The fishermen are able to catch 10 tonnes of fish which is their livelihood. During the three months of spawning, fishermen do not venture into the sea.
Fish species thriving in Tonle Sap are carp, catfish, herring and others.
It is a bird watchers’ paradise and ornithologists will have a visual treat watching the birds flocking there.
My cruise on Tonle Sap will be etched in my memory forever. A small area with boats and ship moving at snail’s pace resemble a floating village.
For many of the natives, it is life on water. Their houseboat is a self-contained vessel and has everything under the sun. Most of the villagers thrive only on fishing. This area has prospered and has had water transportation since ancient times.
Despite its natural splendour and architectural marvels, the Pol Pot regime is an unpleasant part of the nation’s history. Pol Pot was an autocrat who ruled Cambodia from 1975-79.He mercilessly killed thousands of his fellow countrymen whom he suspected of treachery. It is important to note that killer fields are spread throughout the country. It is in the killer fields that he gruesomely murdered many innocent men, women and children. It is believed he killed several intelligent men and women who were of great use to the country. The bones of the dead are kept in a museum and kept for public viewing.
His memory still haunts the people of Cambodia and the rest of the world. My guide had a horrid tale to narrate. His grandparents were mercilessly dragged to the killer fields and thrown into the fire pit. No one knows the reason for this gruesome act.
Cambodia is slowly limping back to normalcy and its citizens are slowly getting over the fear of the Pol Pot regime.
Great rivers have spawned the Cambodian civilisation which is engraved in the annals of history. Angkor Wat temples showcase the ethos of the region. Cambodia boasts of antiquity that dates back to the Chola period. Its world heritage sites attract people who flock in thousands to marvel at its splendour.
During the rains, the lake swells and inundates the neighbouring forests and makes the soil fertile for cultivation. The silt deposits increases the agricultural produce by leaps and bounds. It is also South East Asia’s largest fresh water fishing ground. The fishermen are able to catch 10 tonnes of fish which is their livelihood. During the three months of spawning, fishermen do not venture into the sea.
Fish species thriving in Tonle Sap are carp, catfish, herring and others.
It is a bird watchers’ paradise and ornithologists will have a visual treat watching the birds flocking there.
My cruise on Tonle Sap will be etched in my memory forever. A small area with boats and ship moving at snail’s pace resemble a floating village.
For many of the natives, it is life on water. Their houseboat is a self-contained vessel and has everything under the sun. Most of the villagers thrive only on fishing. This area has prospered and has had water transportation since ancient times.
Despite its natural splendour and architectural marvels, the Pol Pot regime is an unpleasant part of the nation’s history. Pol Pot was an autocrat who ruled Cambodia from 1975-79.He mercilessly killed thousands of his fellow countrymen whom he suspected of treachery. It is important to note that killer fields are spread throughout the country. It is in the killer fields that he gruesomely murdered many innocent men, women and children. It is believed he killed several intelligent men and women who were of great use to the country. The bones of the dead are kept in a museum and kept for public viewing.
His memory still haunts the people of Cambodia and the rest of the world. My guide had a horrid tale to narrate. His grandparents were mercilessly dragged to the killer fields and thrown into the fire pit. No one knows the reason for this gruesome act.
Cambodia is slowly limping back to normalcy and its citizens are slowly getting over the fear of the Pol Pot regime.
Great rivers have spawned the Cambodian civilisation which is engraved in the annals of history. Angkor Wat temples showcase the ethos of the region. Cambodia boasts of antiquity that dates back to the Chola period. Its world heritage sites attract people who flock in thousands to marvel at its splendour.
11 comments:
All rivers will dry up over time and dredging is very important way to preserve the health of the river! So far Cambodian government doesn’t even have the money, the technology, and the will to do it!
May be dredging in the center for boat to travel. Dregging without controlling is destruction of echo system. The great lake has been providing fishes to human for thousands of years.
Well, the river have been here for 500 years and it will be here for another 500 years easily.
I really don't want to see Viet'hat (Doun).
Viet's Hat is the best invention ever, and we want to use it. No one asked you to wear it; so, shut the fuck up.
For your information, there are not too many khmers live on boats. Your assessment that "native" is wrong. Most of these people are vietnamese who migrated illigally under Hun Sen regime. They are poluted the water and the environment and will kill the khmer livelyhood with their uncontrolled fishing and exploiting the natural resource. Many species of fish and aquatic lives are disapeared. Hun Sen goverment protect and allow these to pillage the country with the order from vietnam. Essentially, the people now eat the fish that are fed on human excrement. Hun Sen and his cohort are all eating the fishes also. Soon they all will die from diseases as a result of eating the fishes.
We know about Vietnamese living on boat. Where do you expect them to live when they have no money to buy house on land? Furthermore, can you tell me the population of people who live on boat? Is it really a life-and-dead situation? How many people have committed suicide over this?
BTW, Vietnamese and Chineses have lived on boat for thousands of years, and I never heard of a case where people have been poisoning or sick from the fish or seafood from the area.
Talking living on water for thousand of years. Can anyone imagine what it will be like to wage war against them on the wet battle zone?
Soon there will be no Tonlie Sap lake if people dont stop using it as a rubbish dump and sewer.
Tole sap refreshes itself every year.
In the rainy season water flow into it, and in the dry season, water flow out of it. Thus, I would not concern about polluting it from just a few people living there.
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