We navigated through dense carpets of water hyacinths, floating plants that blanketed large parts of the river, as we moved downstream.
Before long, an incredible floating village unveiled upon us, transforming the riverscape into an unfamiliar, mesmerising sight.
A strange mix of intense focus and dreamlike sensation flooded my senses. Am I really here? I thought. My shutter clicked away, subconsciously.
We witnessed countless floating homes, a floating school, floating church, volleyball court, karaoke, and crocodile enclosure – the residents, mostly Vietnamese, clearly prefer floating-anything over land.
When we turned around to head back, our propeller had caught onto a piece of rug. Our boatman managed to cut it free, but then the engine wouldn’t start. A storm crept upon us, and struck hard.
The villagers scrambled for shelter. Powerful winds tossed our boat in all directions as it poured heavily.
We were stranded in the middle of Southeast Asia’s largest lake.
I continued to shoot, keeping rain out of my lens, and caught two siblings wading across the thick overgrowth.
That became my single most definitive moment in Cambodia.