Kampong Phluk, Cambodia. Dry season

Kampong Phluk is one of the many villages along the Tonlé Sap, the “lake of fresh water” in Khmer —a humble settlement located about 30 kilometers from Siem Reap.

Two villages in one, a changing landscape: when the water rises, dusty roads turn into canals and the houses touch the surface of the lake. When the level drops, the wooden stilts that hold them up are exposed, and fishermen repair their nets and boats, waiting for the next wet season.

This series is a look at everyday life during that time of waiting. It shows a place where living conditions are harsh, yet daily routines are much like anywhere else: a man mending a sandal, a fisherman fixing his net, children playing, people going about their tasks, a woman talking on her phone… fragments of an ordinary day.

View of Kampong Phluk village during the dry season, with the Tahas canal and fishing boats.
Woman riding a motorcycle along the main street of Kampong Phluk.
Woman talking on the phone and petting a dog with her puppies in Kampong Phluk.
Child and his mother at home in Kampong Phluk.
Portrait of two boys in Kampong Phluk.
Man and his young daughter at home in Kampong Phluk.
Shoemaker sewing a sandal while sitting in a hammock in Kampong Phluk.
Portrait of a boy in Kampong Phluk.
Portrait of a man smoking in a hammock in Kampong Phluk.
Woman washing herself in Kampong Phluk.
Cooking fire in the kitchen of the Kampong Phluk monastery.
Several people sitting in a hall of the Kampong Phluk monastery.
Portrait of a young monk in the Kampong Phluk monastery.
Two children playing in the Kampong Phluk monastery.
Man repairing a fishing net at his home in Kampong Phluk.
Portrait of a woman assisting at the Buddhist temple in Kampong Phluk.
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