Tonle Sap, Cambodia - a photo on Flickriver

My captain for the trip out onto the lake. I met him before some 3 years earlier, when he also ferried me on a previous visit. He was a shy, friendly young guy then, now he was still the friendly nice guy, and tough as nails. Life is tough here. Sadly i cannot remember his name, my notes were lost through theft a few weeks later in Vietnam.

Captain Sap went to school in Kampong Phluk, the local village that is one of the main boarding points for the lake. He picked up some English, from tourists not education, and he was happy with the extra dollars from tourism. But he was concerned about little water in the lake and reduced fishing even then (2013). Things were not developing well for the village and beyond, and the situation has gotten worse since. For more background info please see previous images in the along the Mekong album.

From a photography pov my processing aims to convey the story as much as the place and climate. Glaring light and heat not long after noon on this vast expanse of blue and sky. The water is shallow, murky muddy and warm like a bath tub. i was covered in UV cream and full length clothing and still felt like my skin was shrivelling up. Captain Sap’s skin has a copper-brownish colour, in some exposed areas burnt to an orange-red hue in this light and heat. Not sure if he always captains like this, or if he wanted to be seen with the nice tattoo. He was quite interested in my photography without saying it directly, but happy to play and take some shots when i gave him the camera. Hope i can bring him a print one day.

I really like his tattoo, but can’t remember asking him about it. The simple fun drawing looks local or home-made and takes all the cliché out of the symbol and makes it look cool, in a friendly and cute way, just very Cambodian.

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Taken in: Cambodia / Siem Reap / Phum Tônlé Sap (show map)

Taken on: May 6, 2013

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Sets appears in: • Along the Mekong • People

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