Crossing the Border on the Mekong River

After spending our time in Ho Chi Minh, it was time to head west to Cambodia. I had heard bad things about buses in Veitnam, and was advised to instead take boats as much as possible. We also wanted to explore the Mekong Delta, so we signed up for a 2 day trip ending in Phnom Penh. The backpacker areas in these big cities come equipped with all things a traveler needs, including about a billion travel agents. It took about 10 minutes and 40 dollars to book our entire 2 day trip, and we were on our way! The whole trip was a strange combination of buses and boats where we were shuffled from one tour guide to the next. We had to be very trusting in these people because we had no idea where we were going or what was going on most of the time, but it turned out very well and was a relaxing trip. When we had to cross the border we simply had to get off the boat, wait about 30 minutes for our passports to be processed and sailed happily into Cambodia.

Pam on the very first boat.

One of our first stops was the floating markets. I was afraid it was going to be over touristy, but I think it was actually pretty legit. This is a place where farmers come to sell their produce in bulk. They pack up their boats, come to the market, and stay until they have nothing left. To show people what each boat has for sale, they hang a sample of their produce from a pole, and shoppers go from boat to boat checking prices. It's a really cool system!

A woman selling lychees in the market.

We were also taken to a market where people were making very traditional Vietnamese foods like coconut candy and rice paper. This guy is making popped rice (just like pop corn!).

We went to a fish farm. It was like a house boat floating on the water with a giant fish tank underneath and a VERY strong smell. The fish were pretty packed inside, and when the guide put this food in the water they flopped around like crazy.

Both me and Pam celebrated our birthdays on these boats. Not a horrible way to celebrate.

Our lunch - elephant ear fish

Old woman making coconut cakes on the street

We visited a Muslim minority village on the river. We walked past this really cute school where they were practicing for some sort of show. The kids just stood there and waved at us looking adorable.