About 20 minutes into the journey the Lower Mekong joined the Upper Mekong to become one large river. I estimated it to be around 800 metres wide in places and with a channel depth of around 18 metres it is a mighty river navigable by good sized ships. Some early morning cloud burnt off early and we had a warm sunny day yet again. We were excited by a tropical downpour last night however and it rained heavily for about 15 minutes after dinner.
The red tape passing out of Vietnam into Cambodia on the border is something you come to expect but it took us at least 45 minutes to be on our way again. This pushed back our time of arrival in PP to 12.15. The Blue Cruiser had an indoor area with comfortable seating but it was fairly crowded with people and hand luggage. Some of us preferred to sit up the back in the more open part of the boat where it was breezy, noisy but a little less claustrophobic. It was interesting to look at some of the big tourist boats plying the river over several days but the attraction would have to be in the onboard facilities because the scenery, while interesting, is much the same throughout the journey.
The transfer to the hotel was smooth and we were checked in by 12.40pm. At 2.30 we travelled with our Cambodian guide to the Royal Palace and Silver Pagoda for a guided tour. Being a kingdom, Cambodia has a monarchy and royal family but they take no part in the decision making of the government. The ornate temples and stupas reflect Buddhist and Hindu cultures.
Tomorrow we head for Siem Reap.
We travelled a few kilometres to a riverside restaurant tonight and had seats overlooking the river. It had a fold back roof which had to be rolled back into place because of another tropical downpour. A great place to enjoy the food and the ambience of the Mekong at night.
The bridge across the Mekong linking Saigon to Phnom Penh
The Royal Palace in PP. The red carpet was out for the arrival of the King.
The following photos reflect river life along our journey
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