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Visiting the Family of Bonthong, Sombarn, and Sokhun February 2012 |
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Last year when I was in Siem Reap (Angkor Wat) I became friends with Bonthong and Sombarn. This year I met their sister Sokhun. They asked if I'd like to visit their "homeland," a 4-hour journey from Siem Reap, near the northern tip of Tonle Sap, a large lake. I leapt at the chance. We were joined by Eileen, an American woman who has spent a good deal of time in Cambodia, helping out with various educational projects, and by a friend of the family, Sophal.
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The trip was an hour by tuk tuk
that most versatile Cambodian taxi |
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and 3 hours by boat
Sombarn Bonthong Sokhun Sophal Eileen |
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The road trip was through peaceful agricultural land |
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with a minor Cambodian traffic jam |
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We arrive at our port, board our boat |
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and head out |
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27-second video |
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sharing the river with fellow travelers |
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Before long we encountered heavy concentrations of floating vegetation
We tried pushing through it
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But the propeller got tangled in the weeds |
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5-second video
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10 minutes of sustained pushing and pulling, though, and we were again free |
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| 13-second video | |
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and once again passing friendly river people |
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passing a floating village |
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| 9-second video | |
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and we arrive at the home of Kan and her family this is also part of a floating village, Thvang |
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Kan (the woman) is a cousin of Bonthong, Sombarn, and Sokhun |
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their family business is batteries, with the noise from the generators sounding much of the day |
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after some minutes we head to shore, where we hear music coming from a wedding celebration We head that way and encounter a gathering place that sells snacks We hang out there, having fun with the kids |
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13-second video with Eileen in a cameo appearance
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| 23-second video | |
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who are sooo alive, sooo vibrant |
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then we arrive at the wedding tent, where the wedding party is seated |
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and we're immediately invited in by the master of ceremonies, and given front-row seats of honor |
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Eileen thought the groom looked a little scared |
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the venerable master of ceremonies stirs the love potion and offers up some incantations |
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12-second video Master of Ceremonies stirs the love potion
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after which there's a bit of pageantry--singing and acting a bit of approach/avoidance |
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30-second video
but then they seemed to reach an accord 30-second video
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on the way back to Kan's house we visit a crocodile farm, a burgeoning industry in this traditional fishing village |
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13-second video |
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and after Sombarn and Bonthong take a refreshing plunge |
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we sit down to a dinner of fresh fish, rice, and veggies |
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and after a last round of goodbyes and picture taking |
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we again board our trusty craft |
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piloted by this redoubtable gentleman |
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and head back through the world of river villages, intriguing combinations of floating and on-shore structures |
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| 29-second video | |
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again enjoying the company of people for whom the river is their world |
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29-second video
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and after docking we travel a few kilometers to the home of an uncle of Sokhun, Bonthong, and Sombarn |
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a small man who has aged well |
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and after half an hour of family reunion, we head home |
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