The Great Lake of Cambodia

Reflection of living, originally uploaded by siggito.

High in the Chinese Himalayas the Mekong River begins its long journey to the sea. Parts of the river are strongly affected by the tropical climates of Southeast Asia. Melting snow combined with monsoons bring the river and its tributaries far beyond their dry season banks.

In Cambodia this torrential rain reverses the Mekong's flow. The water fills in the Tonlé Sap, or "Great Lake." During the dry season the small, marshy basin is at most around 3 feet deep. At the peak of the wet season the lake grows to six times its surface area and over sixty feet deep.

Less ingenious people might think of this region as uninhabitable. Cambodians, however, have built homes, businesses, churches and whole towns in the Tonlé Sap area. The house pictured above is designed to float with the rising waters. Other buildings are built on tall stilts (some over 30 feet tall).

Furthermore, the Tonlé Sap is a critical part of the region's economy. The lake/river water is ideal for fish breeding. Cambodians harvest shrimp, riel, and many other kinds of seafood from the pulsing lake.

Honey Barge

Nile, near Aswan, Egypt, originally uploaded by Zinnie.

The world's longest river flows supplies much of the life in arid Egypt. Besides transportation, water, and fish the Nile was important for beekeeping.

Migratory beekeeping began during this period [5000 years ago] as hives (in mud pots) were put on boats or rafts which sailed up and down the Nile following the honey flows, much as beekeepers in the U.S. do with 18-wheelers today

The anciently named country currently is home to around 82 million people.

[Thanks to MeFi for the inspiration and Zinnie for the image]

It's not Tiny, it's Cozy!

Feeling cramped in your home? Then you're not likely ready to live on 100 square feet. Tumbleweed Tiny House Company builds housing that is small enough to haul behind most pick-up trucks. The layout here shows a 100 s.f. home. These homes come complete with electricity and running water (which can be connected from a standard outlet and garden hose respectively). Also, since these buildings can be hauled they apparently don't have to pay property tax! NPR has more pictures and details about these tiny homes.

*PS* You might have noticed the "Hopper" feature on the right. It's brand new! It should show the last five things I've decided to broadcast from my Google Reader feeds.

Float On - Float Off

MV Blue Marlin & Thunder Horse

Dockwise Heavy Transport Shipping can build a sweet boat. Technically they're known as Heavy Lift Semi Submersable Vehicles. They are the boats that haul oil-drilling platforms and damaged naval vessels.

Their most significant client is the oil & gas industry. Imagine what else could be done with this monumental technology. It seems as though a ship like this could move whole cities over vast distances. A few of them could create artificial islands and instant runways.

Trailer on Pontoons

The correct term is Aqua Lodge but neighbors have dubbed them "house barges." The Richmond Times-Dispatch discloses the controversy about these vessels. While state authorities might note environmental concerns, the real heart of the issue can be summarized in this one line (from the Times-Dispatch).

Sarah Gormus, who lives across the creek from Bay Marine said, "It looks like a trailer park in the water."