The Water Birds of the Mekong Flood Plains
>> Friday, November 27, 2009
Just got back from Takeo Province. Visited again to determine once and for all if the natural blue faceted stones that were being sold along with the Topaz at the site were actually Aquamarine and not Blue Topaz as some of the sellers thought. (It is aquamarine.) But that is not what this post is about. Water birds is the subject!
No visit to Takeo town is complete without a visit to Phnom Da and the museum at Angkor Borei. What I did not realize was how great the trip by boat from Takeo town would be. The mountain typical, but interesting, the museam, small but absolutely worth a visit. But the boat ride was just tremendous. Best thirty dollars I have spent in a very long time. Takeo to Phnom Da, Phnom Da to Angkor Borei, Angkor Borei to Takeo Town. No hurry no worries; once you are on the way, you set the schedule, the driver is happy to accomodate.
We pulsed smoothly over miles of flood plain on the top of ancient canals (some dating back to the period of the Chenla and Funan Kingdoms), and more modern ones.
You had to think 'canal' to see them. And all along the way birds glided overhead or watched us from where they waded in the shallows. Careful. Vigilant. The Cambodians like to eat the white birds.
The canal's presence was sometimes betrayed by embankments that are only now emerging into view as overall water levels fall and as the dry season starts. But in many places it is hard to tell where the canal ends and where the miles of flooded flatland began (though the boatman seemed to know exactly where he was all the time, shifting here, darting over to a parrallel track, slowing to a stop and easing over a shallow bit).
Over time it became clear that sometimes trees and bushes protruding from the water actually grew on dry season canal banks.
I'll focus on Phnom Da itself (and the temple tower on its top) in another post. But here is where we started and ended our half-day boat trip: Takeo Town.
