Eastern adventure A Slow Boat To Saigon
steadily in recent years, not just because of climate change, but because a succession of international facilities damn the rivers mainstream and threaten the eco-system. No wonder they say future wars will be fought over water.
As Cambodia was one of the few places left on our bucket list we decided to do it the lazy way so we took a river cruise down the mighty Mekong River to Vietnam. The first leg however was the energetic bit.
Phnom Penh once known as the pearl of the orient, was our next stop, where its French colonial past was very evident. A riverside promenade to rival the south of France’s promenade des Anglais and some impressive architecture. The royal palace was also a highlight, as was a blessing from Buddhist monks.
First stop was Siem Reap and the world famous temples at Angkor Thom, Ta Prohm and Angkor Wat. Getting up at 4am to watch the sun rise over the latter was a challenge but well worth it.... the largest religious monument in the world and a truly amazing experience.
Less so, and very sombre, was a visit to the Killing Fields where Pol Pot’s murderous Khmer Rouge tortured and murdered tens of thousands. It was one of over three thousand such camps and it is estimated that some 3 million Cambodians died between 1975 and 1979, some 40% of the population. A grim reminder of man’s inhumanity to man.
Another side trip was to Tonle Sap Lake, the biggest freshwater lake in South East Asia and which supported the ancient Angkorean civilization. It is populated by boat people who move their floating homes around as it contracts and expands from the dry season to the wet season. Water levels have been declining 20
