Day 20 (Mekong and Cambodia)

As I begin this entry I am sitting on a crowded bus leaving Siem Reap for the Poipet border crossing into Thailand, and eventually Bangkok. 

Since my last update I have ended my visit to southern Vietnam with a wonderful stay in the rural Mekong Delta. My route took me through My Tho, Ben Tre, Can Tho and Chau Doc with various stops along the way, visiting floating markets, coconut candy manufacturers, rice mills, noodle makers, small villages and a lot of sailing on the Mekong River. The area is nothing like either urban Saigon or blissful Mui Ne, and offers a small piece of intriguing insight into Vietnamese life in the countryside. From there, a 7 hour boat&bus-trip took me by a series of roads never meant for motorized vehicles to the border and into Cambodia. 

PICTURES: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10152124678542262.1073741831.649632261&type=1&l=dfd44583ab

My time in Cambodia has been relatively short, but the days I have spent in Phnom Penh and Siem Reap have been extraordinary, and the Cambodians have left a lasting impression that guarantees I'll eventually be back. Despite being a country ravaged by countless atrocities and genocide only decades ago, the people are disarmingly warm and welcoming and never fail to greet you with a smile or offer a helping hand - I have made many friends here, travelers and locals alike. 

Time flies by faster than I could have ever imagined, and I am already having a hard time telling the days apart - awesome experiences here are too numerous to properly recount, but some highlights include: 
- Visiting the Buddhist monks of the temples in Phnom Penh.
- Getting caught up in the middle of violent clashes between police and national election protesters (a man was shot dead by police 500 meters from my hotel).
- Enjoying the amazing Khmer cuisine and ridiculously inexpensive local beverages.
- The stunning temples of Angkor outside Siem Reap.
- Shopping with the locals, filling a tuk tuk with groceries and donating it to a local orphanage, hanging out with the absolutely adorable children.
- Quad bike racing through small villages around the killing fields and visiting Tuol Sleng.
- Partying on Pub Street and backpacker bars, local bars, early morning bars, rooftop bars and rather questionable bars in every location.
- Watching the brutal sport of Khmer boxing (10 fights - 6 knockouts, 2 disqualifications!).
- Experiencing a culture and daily life that is so different that walking down the street or venturing into traffic is an adventure in itself (only very few times have I genuinely feared for my life... :) ).

PICTURES:

Acodo Orphanage: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10152111057322262&type=1&l=470e29ae1a

Cambodia: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10152124693797262.1073741832.649632261&type=1&l=dc0d9b5b5d 


Next up is Bangkok! :D