The Floating Village of Siem Reap (And The Friends We Make)

Near Siem Reap, Cambodia

It was almost two years ago that I was in Cambodia, almost two years ago that I was on this boat touring the floating village near Siem Reap; despite that, I can remember so much of that journey (including the itchy mosquito bite on my cheek). It reminded me of infrastructure in other countries I’d been to, most notably Brunei and Thailand. These people spend every day this way, working and learning and living and loving never more than a few feet away from the water.

There was a constant barrage of people asking for money, including these kids and their snakes, but also people selling snacks and drinks or people simply asking for cash. Boats would come up right alongside ours; once a young girl even leapt from boat to boat as she sold cans of soft drinks. I enjoyed that day, however, as I learnt more about Cambodia and got to hang out with good people (and a bunch of crocodiles). The man sitting beside me during this video, the one you get a glimpse of, is still a friend, and I’ll be seeing him in London very soon.

I’ve talked so often of how and why I love travelling; one of my favourite things, if not my very favourite thing, is that you meet people from all around the world. Sometimes you meet again, sometimes not, but you always have that bond from the experiences you’ve shared abroad. When I head to London in a few weeks, there will be no shortage of people I’ll run into again – Nick, from Australia, whom I met in Cambodia; Lisa, from England, whom I met in Peru; Ali, from England, whom I met in Japan and visited in Australia; Harriet, from Canada, whom I visit when I go to Paris; Claire, living in Scotland, whom I met in the Philippines; Mark, from Australia, whom I travelled through Argentina and Uruguay with. The list goes on and on. Sometimes we spend months or even years with schoolmates or coworkers, never to see them again once we part ways. Other times, you spend one afternoon with someone on a boat in Cambodia and become friends for life.  It’s a crazy world, but one I love living in, and one I love exploring.