aside, of course, from the teeming green foliage around, i was struck with the cement pathway that winds through the forest - at first it looks out of place - but then again, it provided a sturdy walkway and made the whole visit comfortable, making one concentrate on the sight around rather than being pre-occupied of maintaining one's balance so as not to fall into the mud below - or the sharp edges of the protruding roots...
as i stepped into this mangrove, it was like i was transported back in time when i was a child. the fun childhood when i all i could think of, during lunch break when it is schooldays and on weekends, is to go with my friends and explore the mangrove nearby. by then, i didnt see its significance except for the fact that it is a fun place to play at. little did i know then that fish would spawn in these areas, naturally protected from its predators. 'bakhaw' and 'miyapi', that's what they call the trees in our dialect... here in this preserve it was purely 'bakhaw'.
i grew up just a few meters from a mangrove forest... although it was not in hectares big, when i was a child it looked big enough for us to play 'tarzan' - holding on to branches and transporting from one tree to the next... and sometimes would jump off from the trees to the flowing river below... the higher the tree one jumps off from, the higher the respect accorded to the person. i didnt dare get on the highest tree -- i dont feel comfortable with heights... never will be... 
i managed to be out of the office at four in the afternoon (worked through lunch) and headed with my friend to the mangrove preservation site. expecting actually that it would be deserted. twas a surprise to see a lot of people dressed in colorful clothing. the 'cham' - a moslem ethnic group in cambodia.
...part of the preservation is providing livelihood to the community --- fish culture, where the three kids in this photo are preparing the feed for the fish.
... and oyster culture.
... the view deck which one could go up and see the vista of the vast mangrove area. the following photos were taken from the topmost level of the view deck.
on our way out of the mangrove forest...
this is the first outdoor trip of my olympus e420...i have seen the billboard of this location being advertised as an eco-tourism destination and wondered when i can actually see the place... been working here in koh kong for four years now and seen the mangrove from the sea for quiet sometime during our work trips but this development is a most welcome idea that i am glad was started moreso managed by the community members themselves.
my respect for them moved up a thousand notch. i am a big supporter of nature preservation.
i was on the process of closing the project i am handling and thought of tagging along a good friend in this trip who impressed me that with the short notice given, he was able to join.
despite the hectic schedule that i have in the last few days of the project, i was able to squeeze in an hour for a trip to the mangrove preserve. late in the afternoon when the sun was cooler...
this place is located about 7 kms from the main road -- the road perpendicular to the main river of smach meanchey, koh kong province...
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