Cambodian Water Festival

16 November 2008

 

Return to Kampong Cham

Racing boat returns to Kampong Cham
Some boats are trucked or walked to Phnom Penh for the races. Some arrive there by river. This entry, from Kampong Cham Province, made the return trip home tied to a river ferry going upstream.

Carrying the boat from the water
Once the boat reached Kampong Cham town, the hard work began. Poles were lashed across the beam of the boat and the crew manhandled it up the river bank to the road.

Returning the boat to its storage shed
Many boats are kept throughout the year in pagodas which provide a degree of safety because of the respect given to the monks and the temples.

Kampong Cham governor
The man in the dark suit in the center is the governor of Kampong Cham who came out to greet the boat crew who represented his province. They came in second in the overall races. The governor is the older brother of Prime Minister Hun Sen.

[These pictures are by Jim McLaughlin, Maryknoll Lay Missioner]

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