Across the border into Cambodia

We enjoyed our free day in Can Tho: got up late, went out and found a nice cafe for breakfast, sat by the waterside and watched the world go by for a a while. A nice relaxing start for the day. After a wait and a few phonecalls, we were eventually collected at about 3pm to join the boat which was taking us to the floating hotel, where we were to spend the night prior to our journey up the Mekong and crossing over into Cambodia. Before I tell you of the delights of the floating hotel just a few very personal reflections on Vietnam.

I have to say Vietnam was not, on the whole, what I was expecting. It is very fair to say that our journey has only been along the coast and not always with the best of weather; both factors which can colour impressions of a country. We have had some wonderful experiences, visited amazing places, now the 'but', but somehow there was a lack of 'beauty'. When I say beauty I don't necessarily mean Temples and Pagodas and manufactured buildings and artifacts but just scenery and people going about their everyday business. It is true the women, especially the young girls, have graceful lithe bodies and look enchanting just riding a bicycle. The people themselves, so dignified and so keen to be friendly, emphasised to me that there was just something lacking in the everyday scenery.

I have told you all that, before telling you about the floating hotel, so you don't think that the experience has coloured my view of Vietnam. This place has to be seen to be believed. I know we were on a budget trip but it was something else. It was apparent from the minute we docked that we were in for an interesting experience - I thought we were approaching a ship wreck!! We were shown to our cabin which had three beds, all of which had previously been slept in - I was pleased I had my silk sleeping bag liner. Over each bed there was a mosquito net which I later established had less to do with mosquitos than keeping the cockroaches out of the bed. The walls of the room looked like children had been let loose with a paintball machine as the 'decor' was white walls with green splodges, all hand done. The less said about the bathroom the better, suffice it to say that we both used wet wipes rather than water and John had to check it out for me before I could use the loo - and then only in hover mode (all the women who read this will know about hover mode!). We slept very little and it was a relief when morning came. After a skimpy breakfast, that we had to pay for, we departed this no-star accommodation.

In contrast, our trip by 'fast' boat up the river across the border into Cambodia was another good experience. On the way we stopped at a fish farm and saw how fish that we can now buy in our supermarkets are managed. Basa fish, that I have bought in Sainsburys (it's delicious!), is mostly farmed along the Mekong River.

It was a first for me to cross a border from one country to another by boat and I now have even more rubber stamps in my passport; border guards just seem to love rubber stamps.

It is unteresting that the minute we were through the border the scenery changed and became much more how I imagined Vietnam was going to be. The banks of the river seemed much less populated and the land was clearly given over to farming. There were cows and water buffalo by the river banks, small villages which were obviously poor but where there was a small temple for the village. There were decorations on some of the rooves, it was all simple but had a feeling of identity and aesthetics which Vietnam lacked.

This impression continued after our boat journey ended just about an hours drive from the capital Phonm Penh.