Continuing my boat trip to Siem Reap (the beginning) - new leg of the trip and I think this is a prelude to finally arriving at my destination. Well, almost. First the Tonle Sap Lake.

Photo:  Boat trip: Battambang to Siem Reap, Cambodia → 14:00. We entered an area with lots of vegetation. The water channel is pretty narrow, but the captain doesn't seem to slow down.

Photo:  Boat trip: Battambang to Siem Reap, Cambodia → The area is flat with many types of plants and bushes growing right out of water.

Photo:  Boat trip: Battambang to Siem Reap, Cambodia → We are also passing some trees.

Photo:  Boat trip: Battambang to Siem Reap, Cambodia → The passage is quite narrow but the captain seems to be very confident. I think it's actually quite deep and free from any obstacles. After all, they go this way several times a week and know it very well.

Photo:  Boat trip: Battambang to Siem Reap, Cambodia → A small boat passing us by.

Photo:  Boat trip: Battambang to Siem Reap, Cambodia → We came to this area densely covered with these green water plants, and we are basically just moving through them, no slowing down.

Photo:  Boat trip: Battambang to Siem Reap, Cambodia → People are taking pictures. There were only two local passengers on this boat, and they got off earlier. The rest - all tourists!

Photo:  Boat trip: Battambang to Siem Reap, Cambodia → A few twists and turn...

Photo:  Boat trip: Battambang to Siem Reap, Cambodia → ...and a wider are.

Photo:  Boat trip: Battambang to Siem Reap, Cambodia → We are leaving it behind. The water seems deep and very clean. I think we are on the lake now.

Photo:  Boat trip: Battambang to Siem Reap, Cambodia → Yes, indeed. It's the Tonle Sap Lake. It's vast and in this part covered by random vegetation.

Photo:  Boat trip: Battambang to Siem Reap, Cambodia → We are moving at full speed, uninterrupted.

Photo:  Boat trip: Battambang to Siem Reap, Cambodia → Which ever way you will look, it's all the same - horizon and random plants covering the stagnant lake waters. I think I can see some trees far away, perhaps the end of our trip is near.

Photo:  Boat trip: Battambang to Siem Reap, Cambodia → The view to the right. It's more less what I have seen for the next hour. Later the the plants disappeared and we were on open waters./p>

Photo:  Boat trip: Battambang to Siem Reap, Cambodia → 15:16. An hour later and we are at hour destination. The water color changed rapidly - bye bye nature and welcome urban life.

Photo:  Boat trip: Battambang to Siem Reap, Cambodia → I have been sitting on the roof for some time. We left the Sangker Lake and are moving towards the port. The boats go up and down here, some just local sightseeing tours, but a few will go further. Perhaps some as far as Battambang, where we came from.

Photo:  Boat trip: Battambang to Siem Reap, Cambodia → Passing boats on the way.

Photo:  Boat trip: Battambang to Siem Reap, Cambodia → More boats, some interesting ones.

Photo:  Boat trip: Battambang to Siem Reap, Cambodia → A look at the shore.

Photo:  Boat trip: Battambang to Siem Reap, Cambodia → Still a way to go.

Photo:  Boat trip: Battambang to Siem Reap, Cambodia → Now closer to the landmark hill.

Photo:  Boat trip: Battambang to Siem Reap, Cambodia → Passing some houses on the right.

Photo:  Boat trip: Battambang to Siem Reap, Cambodia → The houses are built on high up in the air. Again, I am wondering how high the water levels can get here.

Photo:  Boat trip: Battambang to Siem Reap, Cambodia → Local living by the river.

Photo:  Boat trip: Battambang to Siem Reap, Cambodia → These people don't seem wealthy. I wonder where their income comes from, and why they live here. It has to do something with the boats and the port.

Photo:  Boat trip: Battambang to Siem Reap, Cambodia → This is the end of our trip. It's almost 15:30, so about 8 hours since we left. So, we are on schedule.

Photo:  Boat trip: Battambang to Siem Reap, Cambodia → This is where we will be getting off. Next a tuk tuk ride to Siem Reap, about 14 kilometers. Why do all the people go to Siem Reap? The Angkor Wat of course! But that's another day.

This was a really nice boat trip. One of the best of all the trips I have been on, including South America. Another great trip is on the Mekong River going from Vietnam to Phnom Penh. The Mekong River is awesome. I will be updating that part of my trip in the near future.