Chong Kneas Part 2: Hook, Line, and Crocodile

That's me, fishing pole in hand. On the other end, a catfish dangling helplessly from the line. He was at my mercy. I grazed his wriggling body along the surface of the lake to send a signal..."lunch time!"








Within seconds, the Chong Khneas crocodiles appeared. Beady eyes and snaggletooth grins, these crocs meant business. I tapped a few of them on the head with the fish, but no movement. "Are they more interested in me?" I worried. Suddenly, "SNAP", one of the biggest crocodiles grabbed on. Unable to support the pole anymore, I used the leverage of the railing to fight with him for a few seconds, but his jaws were too powerful. Lunch was served!



Cost of feeding crocodiles: USD 5 (with a little bargaining)



R.I.P.
John Catfish
2007-2007

Tales of Chong Khneas

Some critics say that the Chong Khneas floating village has been overtaken by tourists and vendors. While there is a strong presence of both, the village of Khmer and Vietnemese families is vibrant, welcoming, and conveniently only 10km from Siam Reap.

We arrived to Chong Khneas early in the morning, but the dock on the Tonlé Sap Lake was already bustling with movement; fisherman with their first catch, children selling trinkets and hungry tour guides waiting for the next batch of Westerners to arrive. Our tuk-tuk driver, Than, bid us farewell as he tended to his tuk-tuk with a feather duster.

Alby, Marco and I boarded a bright blue river boat with our new guide, a young Khmer man who spoke English better than most of my Italian students. Our first encounter: a traffic jam that rivaled Manhattan at rush hour. Reason for the congestion? A village house was on the move, taking up the entire waterway as it was towed upstream. Our guide told us that during the height of monsoon season the entire village migrates to the higher, drier inland areas.
Our guide had a knack for storytelling . I listened to the tragic tales of his brother's death at sea, his arm-less father's fishing accident, his blind mother, and his struggle to single-handedly fund the education of his 7 brothers and sisters. I played my most sympathetic violin symphony for his woeful misfortune. I even shed a tear. Then he kindly requested that we give generous tips at the conclusion of our journey, at which point I realized the heaping pile of BS I was being served and peeked my head into the window of the colorful hut we were passing.

A floating school...in session. Lesson of the day: English! I tried to linger inconspicuously and spy on the class, but to no avail. The curious children were fixated on my camera. Realizing the disruptiveness of my large American head in the window, I snapped one final photos and floated on.

Planes, Trains and Tuk-Tuks

There was a time in my life, not too long ago, when the A train from W. 4th Street to Times Square was my idea of a thrill ride. But since June I've racked up some serious frequent flyer miles, hit the open seas, and taken many a road less traveled.

In fact, some of my biggest adventures this summer were in transit. from crashing on the banks of the Mekong River in a rickety Cambodian motor boat, to zipping around Bangkok in a 2-person Tuk-Tuk with five robust Italian men, to treacherous scooter rides along the jagged coastline of Sorrento, getting from point A to point B was never dull. Here are some of my most memorable moments:

Yellow Pages Delivery Van
Cost: Free (hitchhiking)
Perks: The driver graciously offered us the latest edition of the Milano yellow pages, hot off the presses!


Cambodia Speed Boat on Mekong River
Cost: 20 USD per person
Perks: We sailed beneath stiled houses and through thick groves, waving at curious children as they splashed about in the water. Sit on the bow for the most unobstructed view, but beware: our boat crashed into the brush, breaking the wire attached to the motor and stranding us for a good 20 minutes. I nearly went overboard.

Horse and Carriage
Cost: Free activity - part of Cirie' English Camp
Perks: La Mandria park in Torino is even more beautiful when toured atop a vintage carrozza from the beautiful Cascina Vittoria. www.parcomandria.it/index.shtml





Capri Self-Driven Motor Boat
Cost: USD 25 per person for 2 hours
Perks: Check out my previous blog entry "You Drive It" for all the details. It was just too go to be true!








Than's Tuk-Tuk
Cost: How well can you negotiate?
Perks: Aside from being a cool dude, Than knows Siam Reap like the back of his hand and has the cleanest tuk-tuk in the city. Here's Than photographed on the bow of our boat trip. Not only was he a star Tuk-Tuk driver, but look at his moves. Email him next time you're in Cambodia and tell him tell him Courtney says "Sues'day"! (thanbontuktuk@yahoo.com)









Thai Sea Planes
Cost: USD 100 (THB 3,285)
Perks: Great views of Ko Samui and Ko Phangan. Not sure why, but something about the experience reminded me of a scene from Weekend at Bernie's.


Dirt Bikes
Cost: Free - an extension of our Tuk Tuk ride with Than
Perks: When monsoon season hits, the roads become too narrow and muddy for tuk-tuks to pass. Than called some of his buddies who took us deep into a remote village on their dirt bikes. I should probably have been holding on with two hands, but I coudln't pass up the chance to snap this photo of Alby and Marco.

Other interesting ways to get around:
Romanian family's luxury sedan, overpriced Milano taxis, Cirie' bicycle without breaks, Guiseppe's race car (never again), Italian buses...ticket? What ticket?