You can just call me "Party" from now on! Our driver and his sign at the Phnom Penh dock
This morning we said goodbye to Vietnam! It was an amazing and fast 20 days. Obviously we only covered a tiny bit of what there is to see and do, but we did cover a lot of territory. From Sapa in the far north to the Mekong Delta in the south. It was very diverse, but one thing was consistent. Everywhere we went we met incredibly friendly and welcoming people who were excited to share their history and culture.
We kicked off our last full day very early...……..5:30 early! We met our local guide at the reception of the hotel lobby. He smiled and said, "Hello I'm Phat (fat)"! Had it not been so early I would have come back with a quick "no you're not", but it's hard to have a quick and witty response at that time of the morning. Phat quickly ushered us to a waiting boat for a 20-30 minute ride up the river to a local floating market (Phong Dien Floating Market). As I had mentioned previously, things start early in Vietnam. The river was already full of boats transporting construction material, food and people up, down and across.
We reached the market shortly after 6:00 AM and it was already in full swing. We were told this particular market was a "small, local market". When we arrived there were around 15-20 boats anchored at a bend in the river. Other boats would come along side and make purchases of fruits, vegetables and meats for the day's meals. Like the land markets we had visited previously, this one operates everyday although the location changes based on tides and the flow of the river. We bought some really nice "lady finger" bananas, banana chips and mango. The total cost was around $1.30 US or $30,000 Vietnamese Dong.
After leaving the small market we headed for a second and larger market (Cal Rang Floating Market). Instead of taking the most direct route along the main river we were treated to a more scenic route through smaller canals. As we got close to the larger market it was clear that it was significantly larger than the first market we visited. There were larger boats loaded with pineapples, pumpkins, cabbage and more. Some of the boats were so full that it looked like with just a couple of more pineapples, pumpkins or cabbage the boats would turn to submarines. Our first stop at this market was for breakfast. We pulled up to a small boat, tied up and enjoyed a bowl of Pho (a tasty rice noodle soup) and Vietnamese Coffee. A makeshift table was set up for our bowls. Every time a large boat would pass Phat would yell "hold your bowls"! After breakfast we cruised through the market for a while before getting off our small boat and on to a larger boat selling pineapples. The pineapples they were selling were smaller, sweeter and expertly carved about 30 seconds before hitting our mouths.
Cal Rang Floating Market. The sellers would raise a sample of what they were selling on the poles
Cal Rang Floating Market
Fresh cut pineapple is sure to put a smile on your face
After the markets we reconnected with our guide and driver who had been with us since our arrival in Ho Chi Minh City. We stopped briefly at the local land market for a quick walk through. It was the usual assortment of food items with the exception of one booth in the meat section that had a nice bowl of freshly cleaned rats. We didn't try any but I'm sure it tastes like chicken!
Fish and a hearty bowl of freshly cleaned rats for sell at the market
We were delivered to our hotel in Chau Doc (about a four hour drive) On the way we stopped for lunch at a place that was a combination crocodile farm & restaurant (you can't make this stuff up). It was better to have lunch than to be lunch. Oh by the way, we did have some nice grilled crocodile as part of the meal...……..tastes like chicken.
Part of the welcoming committee at the Crocodile Farm/Restaurant
Grilled Crocodile Strips
This morning we had breakfast on the hotel balcony. The hotel was on Sam Mountain overlooking the rice fields surrounding Chau Doc. It was a fitting end to an amazing 20 days in Vietnam!
From the hotel balcony in Chau Doc
There are several ways to get from Chau Doc to Phnom Penh, Cambodia. It would be a short flight but we chose the more scenic route which was by "fast boat". The boat was fast but the journey along the river took around 7:00 hours total. Part of that time was spent at the border. First exiting Vietnam and then entering Cambodia. There were no issues for us. I didn't have to drop my pants for a strip search like I did crossing back from Jordan to Israel a few months ago (check out the May 8, 2018 blog for details). However, one nice elderly lady from the UK was denied admittance into Cambodia because her passport was going to be expiring in less than six months (this is a common requirement in many countries). She and her traveling companion were going to have to make their way back to Saigon and cut their trip short. Check for passport requirements and make sure your passport is in good condition with plenty of empty pages!
In spite of the length of the boat ride it was very enjoyable. Thanks to Tonkin Travel making all the arrangements we really hadn't read too much about Phnom Penh in advance. It has a very nice waterfront with numerous markets, Buddhist Temples, the Presidential Palace and parks. We're looking forward to exploring it over the next couple of days!
Waiting at the border. At least I got to keep my pants up this time!
One of dozens of Buddhist Wats along the route
Cambodia's version of the Sunshine Skyway Bridge
Our "fast boat" from Chau Doc to Phnom Penh
New Construction going on along the waterfront of Phnom Penh
