Leaving Vietnam taking the scenic route.

2005-04-04, Mekong Delta, Vietnam

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To get into Cambodia we decided to take the scenic route through the Mekong Delta......and we definately weren't disapointed scenery wise. Being an organised tour of course we ended up seeing a whole lot of stuff that had the potential to be interesting....but just wasn't. Coconut candy factories for example....and who can resist the excitement of seeing rice cakes being made.....who eats these things anyway??? Or more likely these 'interesting talks' are just an excuse to take you to these factories so you will spend up large!

But anyway, the thing about Vietnam is that its generally far easier and cheaper to do things with organised tours......you just cannot do it cheaper any other way....many have tried and all have failed....much to the chargrin of those eliteist travellers out there. For us it worked out well as it got us to where we wanted to go.....Through the delta and Cambodian Border to Phnom Penh without delay or any extra expense.

The delta as you can see from the photos was very scenic and a gave a great picture of life on the river for thousands of locals. Its amazing how much this river contributes to the livelihood of the local community.

The border crossing into Cambodia was a reletively simple affair although Todds Passport and all Visa's were subject to a thorough examination before being reluctantly stamped in to the Kingdom. A long boat ride later and we jumped onto what can only be described as the worst mini bus in the world. However an hour later we arrived shaken but not stirred into Cambodia's capital, Phnom Penh. There was very little that we planned on doing in this hectic city so we arranged a bus for Siem Reap and the Angkor Temples.

That evening however we did enjoy a fantastic dinner and found a new brew that could possibly rival the legendary Beer Lao. Meet Angkor Lager, or was it just a decent beer that seemed great because the beer in Vietnam was so crap? More to follow.

Until next time.