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So we paid 12 quid each for our trip to Cambodia so didnt really expect much as thats the normal price for a bus ticket alone but were very pleasantly surprised!! We got picked up from Ho Chi Minh and taken to a floating village, many of the villagers had specific boats, or used the roof of their boat-homes to sell goods ranging from carrier bags to coconuts, many others fished to make money. we drove around for an hour or so on the boat then it stopped to let us off, we spent a while learning about and watching traditional methods of making things such as rice corn, sweets and delicious crunchy peanut treats, all of which we were allowed to sample and then buy. There were lots of little stalls along the way selling nik naks too. We then got back on the boat and drove to a nice place for lunch which was included. After that they performed traditional Vietnamese music for us. Luckily we were under cover as the heavens fell!! The rain was awful but as soon as we needed to get back on the boat it was ok again. They then took us to Chau Doc to our hotel for the night, which was also included in the price, we were told to meet at reception so the whole group (about 20 of us) could go out for dinner, we met a really nice spanish couple on the bus but unfortunately couldnt sit near them and were stuck with the french table who didnt talk to us, we ate though and headed back to our hotel, everything except one shop and a couple of restaurants were shut, it definitely wasnt a very touristy place and rubbish lined the streets! Gross! we had to be down for breakfast for 6:30 so got an early night, we had a tv but there were no english channels to watch. In the morning we had our free breakfast and drink and walked down the road towards the water. Here, waiting for us, were small wooden boats, we got on in groups of 2 or 3. Caz and I had our own, the guy rowing ours, (I say rowing, but its a cross between that and punting, they stand up with long paddles, it looked like hard work and most of the 'drivers' were women) pulled along side another boat which his wife was driving and their little daughter got in our boat! They obviously did this because they know we would find her cute and give her/them money. I asked if I could take a pic of her and she immediately climbed on my lap, she was a pro at this, even playing clapping games with Caz, its a shame they use their children like this but its pretty innocent really and they are so, so poor that I can understand why. The boat went around another floating village, this one was very poor, the houses were on bamboo rafts keeping them afloat and were secured so they didnt move, all the little kids shouted hello at us and waved with HUGE grins, you couldnt help but smile and wave back! We could see people washing and going about their lives from very close up. We stopped to see a fish farm, basically a net that the fish swim in but cant get out of where they are fed up until they are ready to be sold at the market. They get $1 per kilo for them! When the guide was throwing the fish food in they were going mental and jumping up to get some food, so much so that one of them came out the whole and nearly landed on Caz's foot! haha.
We got back on the rowing boats and were taken to a muslim temple, Chau Doc is very diverse with its own religion being practised in the area aswell as catholism, Islam and buddism amongst others. It's odd to see Catholic churches out here. The man driving our boat and his irresistable daughter followed us to the temple, he said she could be in my photos and he also bought some fruit with the small money I gave her.
We got back on the boats and were taken to the big boat we would get to Cambodia. I gave the little girl some mango which she ate whilst clutching her notes in her other hand. When we got off they asked us for money as a tip, the boats were already paid for, we gave him some as we felt bad, he had been rowing for 2 hours in the hot sun and was exhausted! I dont know how they do it all day!
On the big boat Caz and I climbed onto the roof and sunbathed for the majority of the journey, 6 hour boat, on the water, after having been in relatively little sun at all, probably not the best idea but it was lovely! The boat was driving near the banks where locals were bathing, cleaning their clothes and playing in the dirty looking brown water. ALL the children and alot of the adults waved at us as we went past, they had the hugest smiles and it was so lovely and welcoming. We stopped at the cambodian border for lunch then got our passports stamped. We got back on another rickety old boat for a couple of hours and then got onto a bus to go to Pnomh Penh, The capital city. We were told that roads in Cambodia were pretty non-existant so I was surprised to see a concrete large road, it was great, until we reached the building area, it had only just been built and nowhere near completion, we were now on a dirt track filled with pot holes and ditches which threw us around in our seats. We finally reached the area and got off the bus to find accomodation.
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