Floating Village

After Beng Mealea, we headed over to the floating village.

This was a place that I really wanted to go when researching Cambodia. It is the poorest area in the country and I wanted to make a difference. We headed over to check everything out and I was mortified by their living arrangements.

Our tour guide filled us in on a little more about The Floating Village.

Some of the things he told us was that the most common cause of death for children was drowning and for older kids and adults was being hit and killed by the boat propellers. Yikes. 

They made a living by fishing.

They have an orphanage there that had over 150 children. Most of them lost their parents in the flood caused by the tsunami. It broke my heart. 

One of the nicer houses.

On our way over our guide asked if I would like to drive the boat.

Umm, YEAH!

It was actually pretty fun. You had to take off your shoes and use this little wire that you would put in between your toes. When you would pull back on the wire it was the gas and the boat would go. Interesting! :)

We stopped at a little store and bought a HUGE bag of rice to take over to the orphanage. Their diet consist of rice three times a day and in the evening they get some sort of fish with it. In the morning they get fruit with their rice. 

It takes going to places like this to truly appreciate everything that you've been blessed with in life. It still broke my heart for the little kids without parents. 

My guide pointing out which building the orphanage was.

The kids were in school when we dropped off the rice, but we were allowed in the classroom to see them and they all stood and thanked us for the gift.

The villagers have come to rely on tourists coming through to beg for money. 

It made me sad. These poor babies all carry around snakes to show the tourists. We gave them each a dollar, but it broke my heart that all day they float around with their snakes trying to earn money.

Rhett's turn to drive the boat.

This was our tour guide. I thought he was hilarious, but he annoyed Rhett really bad. He told us all about his baby and wife. He said that his baby lives with his Mom because he likes to smoke the Opium. I didn't know whether to laugh or cry because he said it so nonchalantly. Rhett had a hard time with him because he mentioned us giving him a really good tip about 10 times. Rhett has a hard time with people begging for money. He didn't really enjoy the floating village because we got hit up A LOT! We bought the rice for the orphanage and instead of it costing a few dollars like rice usually does It was $60. I think they take advantage of people coming to help. I mean don't get me wrong I still would have gladly given the $60. I just thought it would go a little further for the kids.

I watched this little guy rowing his boat all by himself and I thought how fast these little guys have to grow up. I look at my own children who have been so blessed and it just doesn't seem fair. I wish all kids had good lives. 

It would have been nice to bring my kids and would have definitely been an eye opening experience for them to see how their life is so different. I know it made me feel bad for ever complaining. I have more than enough food, a warm bed, and shelter over my head.

Yikes. They are playing with a sharp can.  Not the best toy.

I fell in love with this little guy. He was so sweet. I handed him a dollar and he was so proud as he handed it to him Mom. Bless his little heart. 

This was a hard stop, but I'm really glad that we went. It made me appreciate all that I've been blessed with. It was so heart breaking to see the poverty that these families live in. I truly hope that one day their lives get easier.