I traveled all day yesterday from Chou Doc, Vietnam, to Phnom Penh, Cambodia. I chose the slow boat option and I began to regret that choice after about the 5th or 6th hour of hard seats. At least the the temperature was pleasant, the company enjoyable and the scenery a constantly changing view of real river life along the Mekong. (I did not know that the Mekong is Asia's longest river starting in Tibet and ending in the South China Sea in Vietnam .) The only remainders I saw of the fighting in the Mekong Delta were some bomb craters that are now fish farms. Who knew the frozen catfish you buy at Publix marked "Product of Vietnam" probably were raised right where a bomb exploded 40 years ago?
We entered Cambodia at the most unusual border crossing I have ever seen. Our boat pulled up to a very unreliable looking little dock which was actually a piece of 2 X 10 lumber nailed to the top of a piling. I used every bit of concentration to maneuver the walk up that gangplank with my 40 pound backpack and wanted to kiss the ground after the 10 foot balancing act. In my backyard on Terrace Boulevard we had a joggling board that was fun to bounce on. I drew on skills developed on that joggling board 50 years ago.
After clearing customs there was an hour bus ride on to Phnom Penh. I had booked a hotel online from Saigon so took a tuktuk taxi from the bus and that is about all I have seen of Phnom Penh so far. I have a little bad news and that is my camera is going to have to go, so I will shop here for a new one. It is a little risky buying something that expensive here and I hope what I find is genuine. Wish me luck!
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