Angkor was built to honor the Hindu gods, and it symbolized the extraordinary success of the Khmers.

 

In a way, this place is a monument of something else. The Khmers' ability to harness the power of the monsoon.

 

The Khmers were first drawn to this region by the Tonle sap Lake and the river that feeds it. Today it's home to a floating permanent community, replete with all the necessary amenities.

 

The whole life here has lived on the river.  The whole village holds its shops, churches, schools, everything. A hardware store.

 

There wasn't telly, there wasn’t so- pops. Or just chary on.

 

People settle here today for the same reason the Khmers did over 1,000 years ago.  The unusual behavior of the lake around monsoon time.

 

Each year when the monsoon rains fall, the land around here can drain fast enough, and this lake, Tonle Sap, swells enormously and more than triples in size, become the largest fresh water lake in southeast Asia. And every year, the water brings with it a spectacular bounty.

 

Fish, lots of them. Nevertheless the tourism is mucky water. So many that when it floods the Tonle Sap Lake becomes the richest source of freshwater fish in the world. Back in the 9th century,  the Khmers realized that this annual inflows of fish and water offered the glory opportunity. They set about building up fishing industry here, and with the profits,they built the temples of Angkor.