TONLE SAP - Life on Water
As the motorboat tore through the water, it seemed like we were traversing an ocean. A vast sheet of blue-grey water, churning and rippling in response to the busy boat traffic. 18,000Sq.Km. to be precise. Its hard to believe that Tonle Sap is a really a lake. The lakes of my acquaintance are modest troughs, mostly the ornamental types that house a fountain or a leisure-boating facility. Had seen nothing like Tonle Sap . It was a revelation. As our boat slowed down to negotiate a turn near some greenery, i discovered that the green patches were actually treetops ! Now that was unreal ! 'You mean trees grow underwater out here ? Or is this ocean just a mega size puddle left over from the rains ? Those trees must be at least 10 meters tall , but only their crowns are showing !' The guide reminded us that it was the Wet Season. The season of the Reverse Flow. When water, instead of emptying into the Mekong river , backs up into the "floodplain" becoming the