Mekong River Cruise

Updated Feb 5/17

December 27

After a four or five hour bus ride to Kampong Cham we reached our ship - the Scenic Spirit. That's her above. And that's pretty much how we found her - parked by the riverside with gangplank extended.

The Mekong is the world's 12th longest river. Approximately 4,350 km long. The part we are travelling is very small - probably around 300 km.

At some of our stops the crew would need to create new steps on the bank or renew the ones that were already there. The rain is not good for steps cut into river banks.

Couldn't complain about our accommodations.

Living room.

Bedroom

Bedroom window

The poop-a-torium.

Storage.

A little office area.

The day was pretty well shot by the time we reached the ship. Time for cocktails though.

Day 2 - First Full Day on the River

December 28, 2016

The first full day we visited the ancient hilltop Pagoda and monastery at Wat Hanchey.

A pretty good climb up and back down again.

The view of the Mekong from the top. The little buildings are Stupas. They put the ashes of the dead in them.

A wee video.

Temple exterior.

Temple interior.

We met a novice monk and were allowed to ask questions. He was 13 years old - and he had volunteered to live in the monastery because his mom and dad had split up, his dad had moved away and his mom couldn't afford to keep him. He seemed happy enough.

The monks at their mid day meal. The only get two meals a day. One in the morning and one at mid day. Around 12 noon. I'm sure they're pretty hungry when the next morning rolls around.

A wee video of the monks arriving for their meal. Right at the start of the vid you can see the novice monk we met earlier. He stops and acknowledges us.

In the afternoon they took us to see another temple (it won't be the last I'm afraid).

This is another stupa - where they store the cremated remains of the monks.

I don't know why the lions are facing backwards.

Later we walked down a hill to some sort of Buddhist park with lots of statues. Plus abut a thousand monkeys.

The guy in the back shirt with the umbrella is Dara, our local guide. He is only with us while we are on the boat in Cambodia.

And this is Buddha. I think I recall Dara saying that when his hands are shown like that it means he's teaching his disciples.

And here he is again but he's now depicted as being dead.

What is shown below is hundreds of human skulls. There was a killing field here and recently the skulls were collected and are stored in this little building.

Next we visited a small village.

The kids all seem healthy and happy.

But they live in pretty grim conditions.

A cow lives in the basement.

This is actually someone's house!

This is going to be a palace when it's done!

That's it for day one.

Second Day on the River

December 29, 2016

Something new! A ride in an ox cart.

They wait for us on the river bank.

Not the most comfortable mode of transportation.

And it got even more uncomfortable for Terri when the ox needed to go to the bathroom during the trip. Luckily she (the ox) hadn't had chili for dinner the day before and it was pretty restrained event.

Another shot of our ship the Scenic Spirit on the riverbank.

When the ship comes to the riverbank all the local kids come out and try to make some money. The young gal below gave Terri a ring made of some sort of grass and then she followed us almost the entire cart ride hoping to get some money. Little did she know that we'd been asked on the ship not to give any money or candies or anything to these kids as it just encourages them to beg. They want them to stay in school. So we didn't give her anything. She must have thought we were cheap pricks.

A rice paddy in operation.

So here's a video of the cart ride. The ox's bathroom break has been expunged so don't worry.

After the ox cart ride we go to a another major Buddhist temple where we all got blessed by a couple of monks.

This is the Temple (or Pagoda...I can't keep them straight) where we received our blessing. And I have to admit I haven't felt any different after getting blessed. Maybe it didn't work for me...

It's pretty big and we all fit in nicely.

Here's a wee video where we actually get the blessing. At the critical moment, after about 10 minutes of singing their monk song, the monks throw flowers at us and continue singing their song.

The song reminded me of the song by the Trashmen, from the sixties... Surfer Bird.

bird bird bird...bird is the word....
bird bird bird...bird is the word....
papa oom mow mow, papa oom ma ma mow mow...

Check it out https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZThquH5t0ow and see if you agree that the monks stole the Trashmen's song

This is a naga. A seven headed snake that has some significance to the Buddhists. This is a particularly splendid one.

At this temple we also get to see some Buddhist nuns. They have nuns just as they have monks. They dress in white robes. The monks dress in orange. Seems that's the only way to tell them apart.

A nun's house. The nun's houses can be a simple or as fancy as they can afford.

Don't know who these kids are or why they're here. Maybe the product of a monk - nun adventure in a rice paddy. We were told that neither the nuns nor the monks wear any underwear so things could happen...don't ya think?

The kids all seem to like getting their picture taken though.

The nuns and monks having lunch. I didn't see a glass of wine anywhere!

Later in the day they took us to this little village on the riverside here the locals worked with silver: plates, bracelets, etc, etc. We didn't see anything to buy but we did get to see how they live.

This is a Cambodian villager's toilet. Seriously.

Here's another. Actually there are two there. Made me glad I didn't have to spend the night with those folks.

That's it for day two on the river.

Third Day on the River

December 30, 2016

We are docked in Phnom Penh today.

Phnom Penh is the capital of Cambodia and is located in the far south of the country near the Vietnam border.

In the morning we visited one of the "killing fields". Apparently there are many such places in Cambodia but a memorial has been constructed at this particular one.

Our local guide for this tour was named Buntha (Boon Ta). I don't know if that's his first name or last name or even his real name. That's him below.

He told us how he was abducted by the Khmer Rouge when he was just seven years old. He was taken to a "re-education" camp and after three years, at the age of 10 was handed an AK-47 rifle

and instructed to kill a prisoner of the Khmer Rouge. He told us that at first he refused but the rifle was taken from his hands and pointed at him and he was told he would be killed instead. He had no choice but to kill the prisoner.

He was quite emotional while telling us this and later told us he only acts as guide on the killing fields tour and the tour to the S-21 prison which followed when there are no other tours available for him.

We had been warned, in advance, by Paula the tour director on the Scenic Spirit, that this tour was very "sobering" and that it might not be for everyone. And she wasn't kidding.

Choeung Ek is the location of the killing fields we visited. Almost 9,000 people were murdered and buried here.

This is a stupa and it contains about 5,000 skulls that have been retrieved from the surrounding area.

Some teeth and bone fragments that have risen to the surface recently. Apparently every time it rains more items are exposed.

Some of the graves.

Some clothing that has resurfaced recently.

A exhibit showing what is discovered when excavating the area.

This is a tree where young children were killed. They would be swung by the feet and their heads bashed against the tree. The Khmer Rouge killed the children because they didn't want them to grow up and seek revenge for the murder of their parents.

The boardwalk that is used to walk through the memorial. It is a fairly recent addition. Previously people just wandered around the area.

In this small area 450 victims were buried.

A better shot of the stupa from farther away.

Next we go to S-21 prison.

Here is a link to a wiki page that tells all about S-21 prison. It's truly incredible that people can be so inhuman.

The list of rules.

An interrogation room. The metal enclosure at the end of the bed is what the prisoner would use to go to the bathroom. It was another prisoner's job to collect these and dump them. For whatever reason we were told not to take pictures in these rooms - so don't tell anyone that I did.

The prison was a high school before it was a prison. It looks like a typical high school.

One prisoner was kept inside of each of these tiny cubicles. We're not supposed to photograph these either so don't tell!

Our guide Buntha again with Chum Mey. One of seven persons who came out of the prison alive. And only because he was good at fixing machines. He has written a book about his experience and sells it for $5.00 US.

Here is a link to a Google search that contains many more pictures. Enter at your own risk.

So later is the day we were taken to High Tea in Tuk Tuks. Essentially a wagon attached to a motor bike. They're all over the city.

Raffles is a somewhat famous hotel having housed Jackie Kennedy back in the day. In fact they even have a cocktail glass with her lipstick still on it.

A nice hotel with an nice bar and a nice pool area.

And apparently a good spot for sex tourists to meet their dates.

A few of our group at the High Tea.

That was pretty much it for day 4.

Fourth Day on the River

December 31, 2016

Today is not a busy day. We're going to walk around the Cambodian royal palace. And then to a museum. And then a leisurely cruise down the Mekong into Vietnam.

So not too many pics.

Two shots of the same place. Different angle.

Most of our group. 16 of 22. I don't know where the others went. Missing are: Wilma, Allan, Jo, Allan, Bob and Morag.

A couple Stupas. The ashes of the most recently deceased ruler, King Sihanouk, resides in one. Apparently the ashes of his wives reside in another. He knew if he had their ashes entombed with his that he would have no peace in all eternity.

The present king of Cambodia is 64 years old, he has no wife and so there is no apparent heir to the thrown. He spent his early years training in ballet so he is, I suspect, a little "light in the loafers" (as they say).

They do have in-door plumbing and bathrooms here but there's not always terlet pepper. Best ya takes some with ya! Bev hands it out.

A single shot of the museum. I seem to recall they didn't want us taking pictures indoors.

This afternoon we're going to float down the river to Vietnam.

One thing that was interesting about the trip down the river is the amount of dredges working on the river. They are removing enormous amounts of material from the river.

We had a few discussions with a some of the people on the ship about this. One guy said they used the material for fertilizer BULLSHIT. Another guy said they were using it for building material i.e.; fill, sand for cement, maybe but probably bullshit. As near as I can determine it's to deepen the river so large ships can go further up it i.e.; to reach factories and plants and too also alleviate flooding problems (not sure how that works though).

Here's a wee video - look for the ship almost submerged about half way through. We saw a lot of those carrying sand down the river.

Another wee video showing some parts of the ship.

Fifth Day on the River

January 1, 2017

Happy New Year

Only one excursion today - a trip up the river (back into Cambodia apparently) to visit a bird sanctuary.

I think someone forgot to tell the birds we were coming because not many showed up to greet us.

Oh well, it was a nice day and a nice boat ride, and then a bus ride, and then a smaller boat ride and then a really small boat ride. And then do it all in reverse order to get back to our ship. It took about five hours and we probably wouldn't do it again. Unless the birds promised to come.

So we start out going down the Mekong River in a speed boat.

Here's a wee video.

We saw a lot of these places along the river and though - how nice to have a house on the river we thought.

But they're fish farms! Beneath each building are about 100,000 fish enclosed in a pen. Poor buggers!

There's so much going on. Freighters, fishermen, boatyards, a lot of commerce taking place on the mighty Mekong!

So we go down the Mekong for about half an hour and then onto a bus. Didn't bother getting a picture. Just a plain old bus.

But we went by some nice country.

Huge rice paddies

And a mountain!

All a beautiful green colour.

So after the lovely bus ride we take another motor boat ride. And guess who takes the very first seat in the boat? The tallest, widest fucker in our group. That is why in the video below just about all shots are to the side.

These are the motorized boats.

They have what looks like a small car engine mounted on a swivel device and that's how they steer it.

Everyone is friendly and peacful. I never did get to fully understand why a lot of them wear face masks though. In this boat there are five that I can see. They've got a rogue farter on board.

A nice boat ride to be sure.

After the motor boat ride they put us in much smaller boats that only hold three people plus the guy doing the paddling. So guess who I get to go with...the tallest, widest fucker and his wife whose almost as big as he is. So him at the front of the boat, her in the middle and me at the back. No matter, there were no birds anyway.

So here he is: some sort of Jordanian I think. Abdul or Mohamed or ...who knows.

He asked me if I'd like him to take my picture. So here I am with the poor paddler.

After a while we came to a small village out in the trees. And they had this tower and we always like climbing towers so up we went.

A pretty good view from on top. Incredible amount of jungle.

They even had a modern bathroom for the guests to use. Not sure what the hose is for. Maybe for rinsing off your feet! Luckily I didn't need to go.

As noted earlier the return trip was just the reverse of the original trip.

Here's another dredging barge fairly well loaded.

And the Scenic Spirit once again.

Sixth (and last) Day on the River

January 2, 2017

So this is the last day on the Scenic Spirit. After today we've two days in Saigon or Ho Chi Minh City as it's now called.

Our first excursion is to the town of Sa Dec. Here we visit the house of that was featured in the movie "The Lover" - remember that one? I remembered seeing it years ago and we downloaded it when we got home and watched it again. Lots of skin. Not a bad flic!

Anyway this is the outside of the house.

And here's the motley crew outside listening to our guide Nghia.

Next we saw a street market with some truly revolting things for sale.

One side of the street is for vegetables.

And the other side is for meat. No idea what the meat below is but it may have been pulling a plow yesterday. The majority of the population are Buddhist who will not willingly kill any animal so when Bessy the cow (ox that is) gets too old to work in the fields that she is sold to the Muslims who have no problem killing and butchering poor Bessy - who is then sold on the street to the same people she has been working faithfully for for so many years. Like the Russians say "Life is hard - it's a good thing it's so short".

Anyway, if you want a fresh steak this is the place to come.

And if you want rice paddy chicken you can get it here too. The bowl in the middle is rice paddy chicken aka RAT.

We didn't see any dog for sale at this market. That's not to say it wasn't being sold there. The Vietnamese eat dog but it's eaten more in North Vietnam.

Lots and lots of other questionable things though.