| Sunday, 22-Jul-2007 12:00 |
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Trip to Siem Reap - Day 3
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Today will be the last day we will be with our Tour Guide.. So arini kitorang akan ke Tonle Sap.. (lake terbesar kat sini), Ta Phrom (kat sini la filem Tomb Rider-Lara Croft buat shooting), Royal Swimming Pool and also Culture Village dia..
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The Tonlé Sap
(meaning Large Fresh Water River but more commonly translated as Great Lake) is a combined lake and river system of huge importance to Cambodia.
For most of the year the lake is fairly small, around one meter deep and with an area of 2,700 square km. During the monsoon season, however, the Tonle Sap river which connects the lake with the Mekong river reverses its flow. Water is pushed up from the Mekong into the lake, increasing its area to 16,000 square km and its depth to up to nine meters, flooding nearby fields and forests. The floodplain provides a perfect breeding ground for fish.
The pulsing system with the large floodplain, rich biodiversity, and high annual sediment and nutrient fluxes from Mekong makes the Tonle Sap one of the most productive inland fisheries in the world, supporting over 3 million people and providing over 75% of Cambodia's annual inland fish catch and 60% of the Cambodians' protein intake. At the end of the rainy season, the flow reverses and the fish are carried downriver.
National and local observers often state that the Tonle Sap Lake is rapidly filling with sediment. However, recent long-term sedimentation studies show that net sedimentation within the Tonle Sap Lake proper has been in the range of 0.1-0.16 mm/year since ca. 5500 years before present (BP). Thus, there is no threat of the lake filling up with sediment. On the contrary, sediment is not a threat to the lake but an important part of its ecosystem, providing nutrients that drive the floodplain productivity.
Water dwelling on the lake of Tonle Sap near Siem Reap.
Water dwelling on the lake of Tonle Sap near Siem Reap.
The reversal of the Tonle Sap river's flow also acts as a safety valve to prevent flooding further downstream. During the dry season (December to April) the Tonle Sap Lake provides around 50% of the flow to the Mekong Delta in Vietnam.
Ta Prohm
is a temple at Angkor, Cambodia, built in the Bayon style largely in the late 12th and early 13th centuries. Located approximately one kilometre east of Angkor Thom and on the southern edge of the East Baray near Tonle Bati, it was built by the Khmer King Jayavarman VII as a Mahayana Buddhist monastery and university. Unlike most of the other Angkorian temples, Ta Prohm has been left in much the same condition in which it was found: the photogenic and atmospheric combination of trees growing out of the ruins and the jungle surroundings have made it one of Angkor's most popular temples with visitors.
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