Pandaw on the Cambodian Upper Mekong

We arrived back in Phnom Penh in the evening and after passing the palace turned into the Mekong and moored overnight.

The next day saw us at a village with a large temple. They also like racing dragon boats the length of which I have not seen before – some 33 metres in accordance with the GH stride scale.

They also had silk weaving and the silk worms life cycle.

However, there was an admission that most of what they sold in the shop was imported from Thailand nonetheless what they did produce was impressively detailed.

The children all seemed to be well nourished and pretty happy.

We went further along the river to Phnom Pros (Man Hill – there is a Woman hill nearby as well). The monastery here was interesting but sections were not that old with gates dated 1996! However the steps down were shared with monkeys – actual and in this case figuratively.

We got back to the ship in time for sunset and an opportune photo – rather sums the Mekong up.

Once it was dark the crew laid on cocktails ashore. Very pleasant with a breeze and the cool of the evening. The locals also turned out and although they sat at the fringes appeared to enjoy the visit.

During our last day we at last managed to visit a rural village. On the way through a herd of water buffalo were being given their daily bath. Although they presumably appreciated the cooler waters they were irritated by mosquitos or the like that fluttered around their head resulting in them making frequent ducks below water.

Further up in the village there were many cutting rice and tying them into bunches. A hard way to earn a living ankle deep in water and bending over for much of the day. Still they seemed happy enough. 

As dusk approached they proceeded to bring in some of the rice while escorting their one or two water buffalos back to the house.

A good way to end the trip followed of course by our last supper.

We travelled over 400 kms in the 7 days and the diversity was what surprised all of us. Phnom Penh and Saigon were so developed and yet so different. The river activities were also quite different with much industry in Vietnam and more rural with significant food production in Cambodia. The 90 million in Vietnam appear more capitalist than communist whereas the 15 million democratic Cambodians are recovering from a lost generation with very few people of our age group around. The centuries old historical tensions between the two countries remain apparent and it is to be hoped these recede as both countries need to be stronger if they are to resist the inevitable pressures from China.