Cambodia's water festival in full swing

November 22, 2010
ABC Radio Australia

Cambodia's annual Water Festival is in full swing, attracting up to three million people to the capital Phnom Penh.

For the past two days hundreds of canoes packed with up to 70 paddlers each have raced on the Tonle Sap in the capital in the annual four-day event, which ends on Tuesday.

Presenter: Robert Carmichael

Speakers: Kea Kim, team racing boss from Kampong Cham; Ruah Saran, WorldVision; Rong Chhin, team racing boss from Kampong Chhnang

CARMICHAEL: A racing team from the central province of Kampong Chhnang paddles slowly up the Tonle Sap River on Friday as they prepare for a practice run at this year's Water Festival.

The festival is Cambodia's biggest event, and marks a 12th century naval victory. Winning the rowing races is also a matter of enormous pride, and to that end more than 400 teams have come to Phnom Penh from across the country to compete.

Cambodia's rural majority have a tough time for much of the year. The Water Festival allows them to visit the capital and take a few days off from back-breaking agricultural work.

Sixty-three year old Kea Kim is here from Kampong Cham province in the southeast. He is a veteran of the Water Festival, having attended his first aged 16. In that time he has seen plenty of changes.

KEA KIM: There are a lot more boats now than in the old days, and these days the boats are much longer. Previously we could get up to 40 people in a boat; now the boats take nearly 70.

CARMICHAEL: Kea Kim says wealthy businessmen sponsor some boats, but many other canoes - including his - rely on the people in their villages to give cash and food for the trip to the capital.

But the lack of cash hasn't damaged his team's confidence.

KEA KIM: I am not afraid of the other boats, if it has the same number of men rowing, then my boat will certainly win.

CARMICHAEL: Among those who have come to Phnom Penh are thousands of sex workers, who can earn 100 dollars a day during the festival, around five times their usual earnings.

Kea Kim's team of rowers stay on his old houseboat on the river during the festival. To minimize the HIV risk, he has banned them from going out late at night.

Others are also concerned about HIV. Organizations like WorldVision are doing the rounds, dispensing condoms and advice on sexual health to competitors.

Ruah Saran is one of a team of women from WorldVision talking to racers about sexual health. She says the subject embarrasses most of them.

RUAH SARAN: But some men are happy because our message is: Don't forget about HIV if you are in Phnom Penh to enjoy the Water Festival. And don't take HIV home to your wife. And that is a message they are happy to hear.

CARMICHAEL: Down at the riverside, rice farmer Rong Chhin heads up a team from Kampong Chhnang. He thinks 2010 could be their year.

RONG CHHIN: This year I selected every man on the team - they are all very, very strong. I removed the weaker men, because they didn't have enough strength and they looked thin so we let them rest this year. I had to find very strong paddlers, so I hope we will win.

CARMICHAEL: Rong Chhin's team were kind enough to take me out in their boat on a practice run on Friday. The only rule: Stay as low as possible in the canoe to avoid being hit on the head by an oar.

So while I lie nearly fully reclined in the canoe, Rong Chhin's team of 50 men stand on the gunwales paddling us upstream to the bridge.

We reach the top point, then turn and race with the current downstream to the finish line opposite the palace, about three minutes paddling away.

It's as competitive as it is wet, as we speed along midstream on this wide stretch of river.

CARMICHAEL IN BOAT: Well you couldn't accuse them of not trying. They are absolutely putting their backs into this, and we are tearing down the Tonle Sap River in Phnom Penh doing - I don't know what speed - but a lot faster than you could swim, that's for sure.

And as you can hear it's very much a team effort as we head towards the finish line. By all accounts they should do pretty well if enthusiasm is anything to go by. And we are coming up to the Royal Palace, which is the end line of the race.

If this was a real race not a practice they would have another team next to them and it would be even more intense and frenetic than it is already, which is hard to believe. So it's a last push to the finish line and with that this is Robert Carmichael, somewhat damp, in the bottom of a Water Festival canoe in Phnom Penh for Radio Australia.