Today our cruise promises to be a big day, not because of an upcoming excursion (there weren’t any), but because will be will leaving Cambodia and crossing over into Viet Nam at the Chau Doc boarder facility. I was really excited to be going back to Viet Nam, and being able to see the country outside of the bustling city of Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City).

Since there were no excursions planned, it was a day that we could take some time to relax, without waking up early, to make sure you have time for breakfast before the morning tour. The downside to this of course is it does not make for very good blogging material, as nothing actually happens.

As we are leaving Phnom Penh, and the Sithowath Quay behind, I thought I would take the opportunity to share a little bit about the Me Kong River, it’s inhabitants, and the challenges for it’s future.

(Here we are leaving Phnom Penh behind us, heading downriver towards Viet Nam)

The Me Kong (Mekong) river itself is a large trans boarder river stretching from Tibet, and ending in the South China sea in Viet Nam. Along the way it meanders through China, Myanmar, Lao, Thailand and Cambodia. The river is a vital lifeline and means of transportation and food source for the inhabitants of all the countries it crosses.  Debates and legal battles are being raged as China, and Laos are in the process of damming the river, to provide cheap clean electrical power.  However it is feared that the dams will threaten the fish stock of the river, severely impacting the lived of the people downstream.

This is a Ferry in Cambodia, transporting cars and buses across the river.

A school girl in Cambodia return home  in the afternoon. Because of the straw hat, I am assuming this is one of the Vietnamese immigrants that live along the river.

Two Women rowing upstream, I loved the artwork on the covered part of the boat, it’s hard to tell if this is where they are living, or if they too are transporting good to the market, or perhaps going shopping. Where ever they are going, that has got to be hard work

Another Ferry, this time in Viet Nam, transporting mostly passengers on bikes and motor scooters.

The river also provides the majority of the fresh water fish, and is the home to many man made fish farms, and provides a home in the form of houseboats.

(Here is a river house on the Cambodian side – These houses are built on large 55 plastic or metal drums.) Some of the houses have the fish farms build right into them.)

The fish are then transported via the river to market. Here is a Cambodia child on one of those boats, only too happy to have his picture taken!

Our guide explained that the river is the home to many of the Vietnamese immigrants that cross the border into Cambodia, and due to an agreement between the two countries they are allowed to stay.

Here are two long houses, one built on the hull of an old river barge, The plants that you see growing abundantly here are water hyacinths, that were brought into the country in an attempt to remove the silt from the river. They soon grew out of control, and you see them growing in abundance all along the river. The people who live along the river harvest the plant for it’s fiber.

I could go on all day, talking about the boats of the Mighty Mekong River, but the blog must go on.

At about 6pm in the evening we arrive at the border area, and drop anchor to begin the customs clearing process. Here is the actual customs Dock, and the customs office itself.

The process itself took a couple of hours, and was all handled by the ships officers, so we did not have to do anything except continue to relax, which we had no problem doing.

Here is Mi Jung Rocking Out waiting to cross the border into Viet Nam.

We then have dinner and go to bed early to be ready for our first day in Vietnam, but first I get a portrait of Mi Jung on our balcony.