Day 3: On the Mekong River

Day 3....I ( Tom ) celebrated my birthday on day 3 and we celebrated in fine style. After a proper Cambodian breakfast of noodles in broth with assorted condiments all made to order at the cooking station, we headed off for a boat trip up the Mekong River. The drive thru Phnom Penh during morning rush hour was a rush. Motor bikes flashing by in every which direction and Tuk Tuks.. Motorized brightly colored carriages that seat 4. We have riden in the tuk tuks now several times. It is not unusual to see whole families of 4 on a single motor scooter.... The ultimate carpool experience.
We actually boarded our traditional Cambodian junk on the Tonle Sap river. It is a muddy river and runs in two different directions. It runs from Lake Tonle Sap to the Mekong during the rainy season and from the Mekong to the lake during the dry season. The river banks were lined with small fishing villages with the fishermen actively preparing their nets and their children splashing happily and very naked in the water. As we motored into the Mekong the water turns from brown to blue green and is surprisingly clear. Since the Mekong originates in the Himalayas, it runs clearer than the other rivers in Cambodia. We passed a number of young boys who had taken their cattle down to the river to wash them down. They take extremely good care of their livestock since the animals represent a large part of a families wealth. The cows are white in color to better withstand the heat and look more like deer than cattle relative our cattle.
About halfway into our trip we pulled ashore and visited on on small village of silk weavers. The weaving process is the same as it has been done for centuries. The whole time we were there the weavers never once looked up from their looms. You must have respect for these people. Of course, we bought lots of silk scarves and material that the girls will wear with pride.
Back on board the boat we ate a tradional Kmer lunch prepared by a young cook. We washed it all down with several cans of Angkor beer and threw in a little kereoke for good measure. Laura does a mean "running man" matched only by Danny's "bus driver". The crew were all pleased to see that we were having a good time.
I could not have asked for a finer place to spend my birthday than on the Mekong.
After getting off the boat we raced back to the hotel and headed off to the airport for a quick flight to Siem Reap. At the airport we were met by the Deputy Governor of the Province and whisked away to our hotel on a private coach avoiding all forms of hassle at the airport..
Siem Reap is the key tourist city for Cambodia since it is located next to the ancient temples of Angkor Wat and Angkor Thom. As such it is a much more modern city than Phnom Penh. Our hotel, the Sofitel is first rate and is done up in the traditional colonial style. I finished off my birthday with a fine family dinner on the restaurant veranda watching a show of traditional Cambodian dancers and musicians. Day 3 three was a very busy and fruitful day.