There are some things that never get old, some sights that are always magical, some experiences that are unfailingly romantic. Sunsets belong to this category. The constantly changing colors, the silhouettes, the drama make each sunset unique.
While in Cambodia, I had the good fortune of watching the sunset twice, and both the times I happened to be at a lake. I saw the first sunset at the Yeaklaom Lake near Ban Lung. The second sunset was at the Tonle Sap Lake.
How you experience a sunset depends on a variety of factors. It obviously depends upon your emotions. It depends upon the people you are with. It depends upon the weather, the mood of the sky. It depends upon the patterns created by the clouds. It also depends upon how earth and water choose to respond to the sunset. And I was lucky on both the days.
The sunset tour at the Tonle Sap lake starts after lunch, at around 2pm. The tour bus picks you up from your hotel after lunch and heads off to Tonle Sap River, which is about one hour drive from Siem Reap. You then board a boat that takes you through the floating and stilted villages to the Tonle Sap Lake.
Nothing prepares you for the sheer size of the lake. When the boat is anchored in the middle of the lake, you cannot make out the banks. It is easy to mistake the lake for a sea. The size of the lake varies a great deal from season to season. At its biggest, Tonle Sap Lake occupies an area of about 2,500 sq km. It is difficult to imagine the size of it.
The boats that take you for the sunset tour are rickety at best. Moreover, there are no life jackets too. These boats when they set off at first have a tendency to dangerously tilt towards one side. It can be a very unnerving experience. And then when you are in the middle of a huge water body, this knowledge about the state of the boat is always at the back of your mind. The Tonle Sap Lake isn't too deep, some people would say. However, 5 ft of water is enough for people like me.
The sunset is quite dramatic too. Invariably there are just the right amount of clouds in the sky. As the sun sinks lower, the colors change drastically and the Tonle Sap Lake obliges everyone by reflecting the right colors, so that the water is as dramatic as the sky.
When the sky is at its best, it is suddenly time to leave, and you feel conflicted about what you want. You feel like lingering on till the last hint of sunlight disappears beneath the horizon. But you are also aware of the mosquitoes that would soon come swarming in. And the boat too offers you no comfort, so you are happy being practical and safe.
And as your boat turns its back to the sunset, you still keep turning around to take one last look at the drama still unfolding in the sky. The sunset you just saw will stay with you for some time. It would then become merge with all the other sunsets you have seen at the beaches, lakes, rivers. And still, when you see the next sunset, it would be a unique one, something you have never seen before.
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