From the jungles of the Land of Nine Dragons in Vietnam to the golden temples of Cambodia, the Toum Tiou voyages up the Mekong River for a one thousand kilometer journey brimming with life and vibrant cultures as diverse as the river itself.
Cruise on the Mekong river. Photos ŠRemi Benali Text ŽHeather Robinson Contact - Thierry Tinacci - LightMediation Photo Agency +33 (0)6 61 80 57 21 thierry@lightmediation.com
2304-13: At dawn, capitain Choe Kim Chea places the bo coung, a daily offering of plantains, at the prow of the Toum Teav in order to appease the spirits that live in the river. Built in 2002, the Toum Teav cruises the Mekong River from Saigon to Angkor. It was built with exotic woods and has a colonial atmosphere. From their large windows, the 10 rooms offer a direct view on the river and its banks.
Cruise on the Mekong River / 2304-01: Decorated for the celebrations of the Khmer New Year, the Toum Teav cruise boat arrives in the village of Kompong Tralach in Cambodia. Two young girls have thrown rice
Cruise on the Mekong River / 2304-02: Built in 2002, the Toum Teav cruises the Mekong River from Saigon to Angkor. It was built with exotic woods and has a colonial atmosphere. From their large windows,
Cruise on the Mekong River / 2304-03: The capitain Choe Kim Chea at the wheel. Built in 2002, the Toum Teav cruises the Mekong River from Saigon to Angkor. It was built with exotic woods and has a colonial
Cruise on the Mekong River / 2304-04: Coffee served on the top deck with a view on the Mekong River. The boat flies the Vietnamese flag. It will change colors after crossing the border into Cambodia.
Cruise on the Mekong River / 2304-05: Madame Kim, the wife of Jacques Prunier, the cruise director. She is wearing an Ao Dai, a traditional Vietnamese costume.
Cruise on the Mekong River / 2304-06: Meals are served in an open area underneath the top deck which also serves as a lounge and bar. Built in 2002, the Toum Teav cruises the Mekong River from Saigon to
Cruise on the Mekong River / 2304-07: Menchantha, the ship's barman concocts a "Toum Teav Kiss", his speciality. It is a powerful mix of gin, tequila, grenadine, and a secret ingredient. Meals are served in an
Cruise on the Mekong River / 2304-08: A Buddha decorates the sitting room of the lower deck, a reminder of the quiet philosophy found all along the banks of the Mekong River. Built in 2002, the Toum Teav
2304-20: Vietnam. River traffic in the city of Cai Be.
Cruise on the Mekong River / 2304-09: A bedroom on the lower deck level. Built in 2002, the Toum Teav cruises the Mekong River from Saigon to Angkor. It was built with exotic
Cruise on the Mekong River / 2304-10: A room with a view on the lower deck level. Built in 2002, the Toum Teav cruises the Mekong River from Saigon to Angkor. It was built with exotic woods and has a
Cruise on the Mekong River / 2304-11: The Toum Teav as it pulls out of the port of Saigon. Built in 2002, the Toum Teav cruises the Mekong River from Saigon to Angkor. It was built with exotic woods and has a
Cruise on the Mekong River / 2304-12: A crewmember raises the flag of his home country after the Toum Teav crosses the border into Cambodia. Built in 2002, the Toum Teav cruises the Mekong River from
Cruise on the Mekong River / 2304-13: At dawn, capitain Choe Kim Chea places the bo coung, a daily offering of plantains, at the prow of the Toum Teav in order to appease the spirits that live in the river. Built
Cruise on the Mekong River / 2304-14: The capitain Choe Kim Chea poses on the deck with members of his crew.
Cruise on the Mekong River / 2304-15: Map of the Mekong. The cruise boat, the Toum Teav is operated by the "Compagnie Fluviale du Mekong" and cruises the Mekong River from Saigon to Angkor. Built in
Cruise on the Mekong River / 2304-16: Vietnam. A woman guiding a small boat on a little canal. The region surrounding Cai Be is criss-crossed with hundreds of islets where the locals grow vegetables and
2304-17: Cambodia. A fisherman sets his nets at dawn.
Cruise on the Mekong River / 2304-17: Cambodia. A fisherman sets his nets at dawn. / Cambodia /
Cruise on the Mekong River / 2304-18: Vietnam. A ferry crossing the Mekong River. Women dressed in the traditional Ao-dai costume are riding their bicycles in the distance. / Viet Nam /
Cruise on the Mekong River / 2304-19: Vietnam. Mr. Tam Ho, a farmer in the Cai Be region, poses in front of portraits of Ho Chi Minh. He is 85 years old and a veteran of the two wars for independance. / Viet
2304-20: Vietnam. River traffic in the city of Cai Be.
Cruise on the Mekong River / 2304-21: Vietnam. Two women on their boat near the village of My Tho. / Viet Nam /
2304-22: Vietnam. River traffic near the city of Cai Be.
Cruise on the Mekong River / 2304-23: Vietnam. River traffic near the city of Cai Be. / Viet Nam /
Cruise on the Mekong River / 2304-24: Vietnam. River traffic near the city of Cai Be. / Viet Nam /
2304-54: Cambodia, the hill at Wat Phnom in the center of Phnom Penh has become a popular hangout for young people during the celebrations of the Khmer New Year. They throw rice powder on each other, especially on each others cheeks, as a wish for good luck.
Cruise on the Mekong River / 2304-25: Vietnam. City of Cai Be. Its floating market is one of the most important in the Mekong Delta. / Viet Nam /
2304-26: Vietnam. Family bathing in the city of Cai Be.
2304-27: Vietnam. City of My Tho. Monks in the Pagoda of Eternity.
2304-28: Vietnam. Dong Tam snake farm is a medicinal plant cultivation and the study and treatment of snake-bite.
Cruise on the Mekong River / 2304-29: Vietnam. A brick factory on the banks of the Mekong River. / Viet Nam /
Cruise on the Mekong River / 2304-30: Vietnam. A brick factory on the banks of the Mekong River. / Viet Nam /
Cruise on the Mekong River / 2304-31: Vietnam. The market of Vanh Long. A mother and her daughter are dressed in the traditional Ao Dai costume. / Viet Nam /
Cruise on the Mekong River / 2304-32: Vietnam. Market of Vanh Long. / Viet Nam /
2304-44: Vietnam. A fisherman pulls in his nets. The Mekong has always been considered a key source of subsistance for its population, however, dams that have been built along the upper reaches of the Mekong in China are gravely threatening the possibility for fish to migrate and reproduce.
Cruise on the Mekong River / 2304-33: Vietnam. A pig that has been bought to be used as an offering at the temples at the base of Mount Sam. / Viet Nam /
Cruise on the Mekong River / 2304-34: Vietnam. Market of Vanh Long. / Viet Nam /
Cruise on the Mekong River / 2304-35: Vietnam. In the city of Sadec, a French lesson is being given in the former school of author Marguerite Duras. / Viet Nam /
Cruise on the Mekong River / 2304-36: Vietnam. City of Sadec. The Kien An Cung temple, where one can find an altar honring the Chinese businessman that inspired "The Lover" by author Marguerite Duras. / Viet
2304-37: Vietnam. City of Sadec. The Kien An Cung temple, where one can find an altar honring the Chinese businessman that inspired "The Lover" by author Marguerite Duras.
Cruise on the Mekong River / 2304-38: Vietnam. City of Sadec. The Kien An Cung temple, where one can find an altar honring the Chinese businessman that inspired "The Lover" by author Marguerite Duras. /
Cruise on the Mekong River / 2304-39: Vietnam. City of Sadec. A family taking their daily bath along the banks of the Mekong River. The dragon boat is used in ceremonies to transport the deceased. / Viet Nam
2304-40:
2304-43: A wave of belief and incense blurs the lines between Buddhism, Confucianism, and Ancestor Worship, a trait which is unique to Vietnam. Mount Sam (Nui Sam) is one the holiest places in the Mekong Delta. It is said that the goddess Chua Xu appeared here in the beginning of the 19th century. An important pilgrammage takes place here each year in June.
Cruise on the Mekong River / 2304-41: A child heading off to school near the city of Chau Doc in Vietnam. / Viet Nam /
Cruise on the Mekong River / 2304-42: Mount Sam (Nui Sam) is one the holiest places in the Mekong Delta. It is said that the goddess Chua Xu appeared here in the beginning of the 19th century. An
Cruise on the Mekong River / 2304-43: A wave of belief and incense blurs the lines between Buddhism, Confucianism, and Ancestor Worship, a trait which is unique to Vietnam. Mount Sam (Nui Sam) is one the
Cruise on the Mekong River / 2304-44: Vietnam. A fisherman pulls in his nets. The Mekong has always been considered a key source of subsistance for its population, however, dams that have been built along
Cruise on the Mekong River / 2304-45: Vietnam. Rice fields along the bords of the Mekong River. / Viet Nam /
Cruise on the Mekong River / 2304-46: Farmer in a lotus field in Vietnam / Vietnam /
Cruise on the Mekong River / 2304-47: Cambodia. A shepherd crosses the Mekong with his herd of cattle. / Cambodia /
Cruise on the Mekong River / 2304-48: Cambodia. Kho Dac Cho Island. A farmer cuts wood in the traditional manner. / Cambodia /
2304-60: A village on the banks of the Mekong River in Cambodia.
Cruise on the Mekong River / 2304-49: Cambodia. Kho Dac Cho Island. Children praying during the celebrations for the Khmer New Year. / Cambodia /
Cruise on the Mekong River / 2304-50: Cambodia. The Royal Palace of Phnom Penh. Its spires rise 59 meters above the banks of the Mekong River. The king lives in one of the wings of the palace. / Cambodia
Cruise on the Mekong River / 2304-51: Cambodia. The Tuol Svay Prey High School in the suburbs of Phnom Penh was transformed into one of the most notorious detention centers during the Khmer Rouge
Cruise on the Mekong River / 2304-52: Cambodia. A Buddhist nun prays at the temple of Wat Phnom. / Cambodia / Phnom Penh
Cruise on the Mekong River / 2304-53: Cambodia. According to the legend, the Mekong River washed up onto its banks 4 Buddha statues made out of gold onto the site that now holds the Wat Phnom in the
Cruise on the Mekong River / 2304-54: Cambodia, the hill at Wat Phnom in the center of Phnom Penh has become a popular hangout for young people during the celebrations of the Khmer New Year. They throw
Cruise on the Mekong River / 2304-55: Cambodia, the hill at Wat Phnom in the center of Phnom Penh has become a popular hangout for young people during the celebrations of the Khmer New Year. They
Cruise on the Mekong River / 2304-56: Cambodia, the hill at Wat Phnom in the center of Phnom Penh has become a popular hangout for young people during the celebrations of the Khmer New Year. They throw
2304-27: Vietnam. City of My Tho. Monks in the Pagoda of Eternity.
Cruise on the Mekong River / 2304-57: Cambodia, the hill at Wat Phnom in the center of Phnom Penh has become a popular hangout for young people during the celebrations of the Khmer New Year. They throw
Cruise on the Mekong River / 2304-58: Pagoda of Kompong Tralach. Built in 1910, it was used as a distillery for rice-wine by the Khmer Rouges, before being restored as a holy site. / /
Cruise on the Mekong River / 2304-59: A young monk in front of the pagoda of Kompong Tralach. Built in 1910, it was used as a distillery for rice-wine by the Khmer Rouges, before being restored as a holy site. /
Cruise on the Mekong River / 2304-60: A village on the banks of the Mekong River in Cambodia. / Cambodia /
Cruise on the Mekong River / 2304-61: Floting village on the Tonle Sap Lake, which is the largest reserve of freshwater in South-east Asia. During the torrential rains of the monsoon season, the Tonle Sap River
Cruise on the Mekong River / 2304-63: A fisherman on the Mekong River in Cambodia / Cambodia /
Cruise on the Mekong River / 2304-62: Children in front of an painting depicting Angkor Wat in the Pagoda of Kompong Tralach. Built in 1910, it was used as a distillery for rice-wine by the Khmer Rouges,
2304-16: Vietnam. A woman guiding a small boat on a little canal. The region surrounding Cai Be is criss-crossed with hundreds of islets where the locals grow vegetables and fruits. Travelling by boat remains the best means of transportation.
Cruise on the Mekong river. "The celebration for the New Year should have been over days ago, but they are still dancing!" The young monk has to shout to be heard over the thumping bass of the stereo. He gestures to a group of young Cambodians jumping up and down in time to a Khmer version of "Hey Sexy Lady" by Shaggy, making the dust rise in the air in front of the local pagoda. They don't get many visitors in Kampong Tralach and the monk has lots of questions to ask, save that he keeps getting interrupted by a band of shrieking children who want to slap rice powder on my cheek for good luck. The heat is overwhelming, but the rains are coming soon--a part of what the celebrations for the Lunar New Year are all about. The music changes to a traditional song, and the young men fall back into the surrounding crowds, leaving the girls to dance the ram uung. As their parents watch with pride, they bend and glide, transforming into the apsaras, or heavenly nymphs, that grace the temple walls at Angkor. It is a glimpse of something eternal, but soon it is time to go--bumping back down a dirt road in an oxcart built for one, past parched and scraggly rice fields to the comfort of our cruise boat on the Mekong River. We first discover the Toum Teav in Saigon (as everyone still calls it) at the new port; its wooden hull sandwiched in between the rusty steel mountains of 70-ton tankers. In a city that is in a race to embrace its future, here, at last, is an elegant hint of its colonial past. The crew, young men with deep-set eyes, is lined up
against the railing, shifting on their feet from side to side to see who the new guests would be. Serge Prunier, the chef d'aboard, welcomes us and assigns us our cabins. Each of which is like sleeping on the inside of an Asian lacquered box lined in teakwood. Stripes of shutters block out the glare of a noonday sun that tries to reach in at us with skinny fingers through the open slats. Like every well-thought out boat, the smart storage system allows us to get our luggage quickly out of sight to claim the space as "home". As if on cue, the Captain blows the deep bellow of the horn and we are off, pulling out into the non-stop flow of the maritime traffic. And what traffic it is. Soon we breach the roiling cocoa waters of the Mekong River. The thousands of vehicles that surge through Saigon are now replaced with their nautical equivalents--from the tiniest sampan, rowed by iron women who steer with their feet, to the jackhammer-engined fishing boats that shake the walls of the Toum Teav as they pass. The sense of movement is continuous, both on and off the boat, due to a densely packed program insisted upon by Saigontourist (its non-negotiable nature one of the rare reminders that we are in a Communist country). At times, the sublime and the ridiculous are experienced in rapid succession; such as the day that our visit to the deeply peaceful "Eternity Pagoda" in Mytho is followed by an inexplicable traipse through the repellant Dong Tam snake farm. At Sa Dec, we gingerly step through the playgrounds of the colonial school where Marguerite Duras attended, as tiny pig-tailed girls sneak peeks at us during their studies. Across town at the Kien An Cung Temple, a guardian places freshly cut flowers on the altar honoring the Chinese businessman who was the basis for Duras' "The Lover". We are
surprised to find a photo of a chubby, balding, sad-faced man and not the romantic hero one might imagine. Beneath the clatter and clang of business being done, such as at the floating market of Cai Be, are layers of the not-so-distant past. On Phoenix Island, a kitsch wonderland dedicated to the memory of Ong Dao Dua, the pacifist "Coconut monk" (so named for his eating habits), we are joined by two American veterans. With beer in one hand and a cigarette in the other, they wander silently around the site and whatever thoughts they have about this man who wanted to unite the north and south of Vietnam through peace they keep to themselves. Far more exuberant is Mr.Tam H么, who welcomes us at his garden nursery with round after round of rice wine and a resounding "Yo!" At 85, he swears that it is the wine that keeps him strong. "Former soldier against the French," our guide, Mr. Feung, whispers to us as Mr. Ho poses comically in front of the portraits of the leader that he bares an uncanny resemblance to, Ho Chi Minh. Ah. Well, now he just wants to party. As Mr. Feung had already explained "The past is the past. Now people just want to move on, think about the future." And, each evening we have a little celebration of our own, as the guests gather to talk about the day's events over cocktails while a quiet bossa nova plays behind the bar. Pungent plates of calamari curry decked with anise stars appear before just us as the moon rises overhead. The world around us falls blissfully silent until 5am, when it starts all over again. By 6am, the banks of the Mekong are already teeming with life. We sip our deliciously bitter coffee on the upper deck as the state-sponsored "news" is broadcast over loudspeakers. The
Toum Teav surges forward, matched by long lines of young women in flowing white ao dai bicycling to school, past metal shacks perched on bamboo stilts like petrified octopus. Occasionally, we pass groups of workers in the rice fields, who rise momentarily, like divers coming up for air, to watch us pass. All along the way to the border, we are met with the cries of "Hello! Hello!" accompanied by the distant blur of a child's small waving hand. "You've never seen anything like it," Serge had promised us a few days ago. "As soon as we cross the frontier, everything changes." True to his word, we leave behind the yellow concrete bunker of the Vietnamese checkpoint and pull up to its Cambodian counter-point, a pink pagoda style building set around a garden and bedecked with a sign saying "welcome" in big letters. Twenty or so houses are gathered around the border control and then...nothing. The other boats have simply evaporated and we have the Mekong to ourselves. On land, beeping scooters are replaced with grazing cows. We wander past a series of pagodas, their gold wedding-cake style edifices glinting in the sun. The first droning prayers for the Lunar New Year waft out to us over the waters. The fellow guests look somewhat shocked to find ourselves magically transported into a seemingly fairy-tale kingdom after the chaos of Vietnam. By the time we reach Phnom Penh, the celebrations are in full swing. We leave the Toum Teav for a few days to explore the monuments to the cities past glories and atrocities amidst the water bombs thrown by laughing teenagers in the streets. But it is all done with good humor. The openhearted kindness of Theravada Buddhism follows us throughout Cambodia. Already, on the seldom-visited
"You will see." Many experiences still lie ahead of us, for though the celebrations may finally be over, a New Year has just begun. Kôh Dek Chou Island, we had been swarmed by the entire community and welcomed into the midst of their celebrations. The pagoda hummed with prayers and discussion, and a group of elderly women guided me by the hand to give my respects to Buddha. A gentleman named Tuy Wan came to speak with us in halting French that he hadn't used in 30 years, since the rise of the Khmer Rouge. His left eye, clouded with age, covered any signs of sadness and regret, and he sent us on our way with warm wishes for health and happiness. We were all reluctant to leave, and remained gathered on the prow of the boat as it pulled away, waving at the group of 20 or so children who had come to see us off. It was a feeling that would rise again on our last morning on the boat. At dawn, Captain Choe Kim Chea, placed the Bo Coung, his daily offering of a bowl of plantains, on the prow to appease any malignant genies in the river so that we may finish our journey safely. Our boat can go no further, held back by the meter-deep waters of the Mekong during this, the height of the dry season. Serge and the crew again line up, this time to say their good-byes. And then we are off, surging forward in a speedboat like a racehorse out of the starting gate at a speed that we haven't felt since the Saigon. We leave the Toum Teav behind, an island in the Mekong. But our voyage is not over. We hurtle across the massive Tonlè Sap Lake towards Siem Reap and several days worth of basking in the glory of the temples of Angkor. "It is heart of Cambodia," Men Chantha, the trusty barman had promised us the night before.
Who controls the Mekong? The Mekong has always been the lifesource of Southeast Asia, but is that about to change? According to the Mekong River Commission, a multi-national governmental body created to monitor the health of the river, water levels at are at their lowest in recorded history, an event which is greatly reducing the capability of fish to spawn or migrate. Several environmental NGO's say that China is largely to blame. Two massive hydroelectric dams on the upper Mekong are already in operation, and a third is scheduled for completion by 2010. Eight further Chinese dams are in the planning, but that is not all. Over 100 different dams, diversions or irrigation projects are currently being proposed as now every country along the Mekong wants to profit from its potential to gain big dollars in electricity exports. Thousands of people have already been displaced due to these projects. With their food sources and welfare threatened, will a war over water be their next step for survival? The long shadows of S-21 From a distance, the Tuol Svay Prey High School looks the same as any of the buildings in this slightly run-down suburb of Phnom Penh. Little in the appearance indicates that it was home to the largest center of detention and torture under the Khmer Rouge regime. Between 1975 and 1978, over ten thousand prisoners (plus an additional 2000 children) were held and killed at Security Office 21, or S-21, as it became known. At the peak of the killing frenzy, S-21 produced 100 victims a day. Only seven prisoners were still alive when
the Vietnamese Army evacuated the facility in 1979. Like the Nazis, the Khmer Rouge documented the arrival of each of the prisoners with black and white photographs. Today these haunting images are presented in the former cells as part of the Tuol Sleng Museum, which also explains the torture methods used. A visit here is a harrowing, unforgettable experience, and yet crucial in understanding this decisive period of Cambodian history.
The moving lake and an undecided river After the wonders of Angkor, the Tonlé Sap Lake could easily qualify as a national symbol for most Cambodians. It is also called "the Great Lake", as, for part of the year, it is the largest freshwater lake in South East Asia. During the dry season the lake is fairly small, around one meter deep and with an area of 2,700 square km. After the monsoon rains, however, the Tonlé Sap River, which connects the lake with the Mekong, reverses its flow and runs uphill. From June, the lake increases its area tenfold, covering one seventh of Cambodia's landmass. Its flooding of nearby fields provides a perfect breeding ground for fish and makes the Tonlé Sap ecosystem one of the most productive inland fisheries in the world, providing more than 60% of the protein intake for the Cambodian population. This unique hydrological phenomenon was designated as an UNESCO biosphere in 1997.
Captions. 2304-01: Decorated for the celebrations of the Khmer New Year, the Toum Teav cruise boat arrives in the village of Kompong Tralach in Cambodia. Two young girls have thrown rice powder at each other as a sign of good luck. An apsara, or celestial nymph, that is sculpted in stone on an ancient gate to the village seems to welcome the boat. Built in 2002, the Toum Teav cruises the Mekong River from Saigon to Angkor. It was built with exotic woods and has a colonial atmosphere. From their large windows, the 10 rooms offer a direct view on the river and its banks. 2304-02: Built in 2002, the Toum Teav cruises the Mekong River from Saigon to Angkor. It was built with exotic woods and has a colonial atmosphere. From their large windows, the 10 rooms offer a direct view on the river and its banks. 2304-03: The capitain Choe Kim Chea at the wheel. Built in 2002, the Toum Teav cruises the Mekong River from Saigon to Angkor. It was built with exotic woods and has a colonial atmosphere. From their large windows, the 10 rooms offer a direct view on the river and its banks. 2304-04: Coffee served on the top deck with a view on the Mekong River. The boat flies the Vietnamese flag. It will change colors after crossing the border into Cambodia. Built in 2002, the Toum Teav cruises the Mekong River from Saigon to Angkor. It was built with exotic woods and has a colonial atmosphere. From their large windows, the 10 rooms offer a direct view on the river and its banks.
view on the river and its banks. 2304-05: Madame Kim, the wife of Jacques Prunier, the cruise director. She is wearing an Ao Dai, a traditional Vietnamese costume. Built in 2002, the Toum Teav cruises the Mekong River from Saigon to Angkor. It was built with exotic woods and has a colonial atmosphere. From their large windows, the 10 rooms offer a direct view on the river and its banks. 2304-06: Meals are served in an open area underneath the top deck which also serves as a lounge and bar. Built in 2002, the Toum Teav cruises the Mekong River from Saigon to Angkor. It was built with exotic woods and has a colonial atmosphere. From their large windows, the 10 rooms offer a direct view on the river and its banks. 2304-07: Menchantha, the ship's barman concocts a "Toum Teav Kiss", his speciality. It is a powerful mix of gin, tequila, grenadine, and a secret ingredient. Meals are served in an open area underneath the top deck which also serves as a lounge and bar. Built in 2002, the Toum Teav cruises the Mekong River from Saigon to Angkor. It was built with exotic woods and has a colonial atmosphere. From their large windows, the 10 rooms offer a direct view on the river and its banks. 2304-08: A Buddha decorates the sitting room of the lower deck, a reminder of the quiet philosophy found all along the banks of the Mekong River. Built in 2002, the Toum Teav cruises the Mekong River from Saigon to Angkor. It was built with exotic woods and has a colonial atmosphere. From their large windows, the 10 rooms offer a direct view on the river and its banks.
2304-09: A bedroom on the lower deck level. Built in 2002, the Toum Teav cruises the Mekong River from Saigon to Angkor. It was built with exotic woods and has a colonial atmosphere. From their large windows, the 10 rooms offer a direct view on the river and its banks. 2304-10: A room with a view on the lower deck level. Built in 2002, the Toum Teav cruises the Mekong River from Saigon to Angkor. It was built with exotic woods and has a colonial atmosphere. From their large windows, the 10 rooms offer a direct view on the river and its banks. 2304-11: The Toum Teav as it pulls out of the port of Saigon. Built in 2002, the Toum Teav cruises the Mekong River from Saigon to Angkor. It was built with exotic woods and has a colonial atmosphere. From their large windows, the 10 rooms offer a direct view on the river and its banks. 2304-12: A crewmember raises the flag of his home country after the Toum Teav crosses the border into Cambodia. Built in 2002, the Toum Teav cruises the Mekong River from Saigon to Angkor. It was built with exotic woods and has a colonial atmosphere. From their large windows, the 10 rooms offer a direct view on the river and its banks. 2304-13: At dawn, capitain Choe Kim Chea places the bo coung, a daily offering of plantains, at the prow of the Toum Teav in order to appease the spirits that live in the river. Built in 2002, the Toum Teav cruises the Mekong River from Saigon to Angkor. It was built with exotic woods and has a colonial atmosphere. From their large windows, the 10 rooms offer a direct
2304-14: The capitain Choe Kim Chea poses on the deck with members of his crew. Built in 2002, the Toum Teav cruises the Mekong River from Saigon to Angkor. It was built with exotic woods and has a colonial atmosphere. From their large windows, the 10 rooms offer a direct view on the river and its banks. 2304-15: Map of the Mekong. The cruise boat, the Toum Teav is operated by the "Compagnie Fluviale du Mekong" and cruises the Mekong River from Saigon to Angkor. Built in 2002 with exotic woods, the boat retains a colonial atmosphere. From their large windows, the 10 rooms offer a direct view on the river and its banks. 2304-16: Vietnam. A woman guiding a small boat on a little canal. The region surrounding Cai Be is criss-crossed with hundreds of islets where the locals grow vegetables and fruits. Travelling by boat remains the best means of transportation. 2304-17: Cambodia. A fisherman sets his nets at dawn. 2304-18: Vietnam. A ferry crossing the Mekong River. Women dressed in the traditional Ao-dai costume are riding their bicycles in the distance. 2304-19: Vietnam. Mr. Tam Ho, a farmer in the Cai Be region, poses in front of portraits of Ho Chi Minh. He is 85 years old and a veteran of the two wars for independance. 2304-20: Vietnam. River traffic in the city of Cai Be.
2304-34: Vietnam. Market of Vanh Long.
2304-21: Vietnam. Two women on their boat near the village of My Tho. 2304-22: Vietnam. River traffic near the city of Cai Be. 2304-23: Vietnam. River traffic near the city of Cai Be. 2304-24: Vietnam. River traffic near the city of Cai Be. 2304-25: Vietnam. City of Cai Be. Its floating market is one of the most important in the Mekong Delta. 2304-26: Vietnam. Family bathing in the city of Cai Be. 2304-27: Vietnam. City of My Tho. Monks in the Pagoda of Eternity. 2304-28: Vietnam. Dong Tam snake farm is a medicinal plant cultivation and the study and treatment of snake-bite. 2304-29: Vietnam. A brick factory on the banks of the Mekong River. 2304-30: Vietnam. A brick factory on the banks of the Mekong River. 2304-31: Vietnam. The market of Vanh Long. A mother and her daughter are dressed in the traditional Ao Dai costume. 2304-32: Vietnam. Market of Vanh Long. 2304-33: Vietnam. A pig that has been bought to be used as an offering at the temples at the base of Mount Sam.
2304-35: Vietnam. In the city of Sadec, a French lesson is being given in the former school of author Marguerite Duras. 2304-36: Vietnam. City of Sadec. The Kien An Cung temple, where one can find an altar honring the Chinese businessman that inspired "The Lover" by author Marguerite Duras. 2304-37: Vietnam. City of Sadec. The Kien An Cung temple, where one can find an altar honring the Chinese businessman that inspired "The Lover" by author Marguerite Duras.
goddess Chua Xu appeared here in the beginning of the 19th century. An important pilgrammage takes place here each year in June. 2304-44: Vietnam. A fisherman pulls in his nets. The Mekong has always been considered a key source of subsistance for its population, however, dams that have been built along the upper reaches of the Mekong in China are gravely threatening the possibility for fish to migrate and reproduce. 2304-45: Vietnam. Rice fields along the bords of the Mekong River. 2304-46: Farmer in a lotus field in Vietnam
2304-38: Vietnam. City of Sadec. The Kien An Cung temple, where one can find an altar honring the Chinese businessman that inspired "The Lover" by author Marguerite Duras. 2304-39: Vietnam. City of Sadec. A family taking their daily bath along the banks of the Mekong River. The dragon boat is used in ceremonies to transport the deceased. 2304-41: A child heading off to school near the city of Chau Doc in Vietnam. 2304-42: Mount Sam (Nui Sam) is one the holiest places in the Mekong Delta. It is said that the goddess Chua Xu appeared here in the beginning of the 19th century. An important pilgrammage takes place here each year in June. 2304-43: A wave of belief and incense blurs the lines between Buddhism, Confucianism, and Ancestor Worship, a trait which is unique to Vietnam. Mount Sam (Nui Sam) is one the holiest places in the Mekong Delta. It is said that the
2304-47: Cambodia. A shepherd crosses the Mekong with his herd of cattle. 2304-48: Cambodia. Kho Dac Cho Island. A farmer cuts wood in the traditional manner. 2304-49: Cambodia. Kho Dac Cho Island. Children praying during the celebrations for the Khmer New Year. 2304-50: Cambodia. The Royal Palace of Phnom Penh. Its spires rise 59 meters above the banks of the Mekong River. The king lives in one of the wings of the palace. 2304-51: Cambodia. The Tuol Svay Prey High School in the suburbs of Phnom Penh was transformed into one of the most notorious detention centers during the Khmer Rouge regime. Between 1975 and 1978, more than 12,000 prisoners were assasinated here. Today, it is used as a museum about the genocide. 2304-52: Cambodia. A Buddhist nun prays
at the temple of Wat Phnom. 2304-53: Cambodia. According to the legend, the Mekong River washed up onto its banks 4 Buddha statues made out of gold onto the site that now holds the Wat Phnom in the center of Phnom Penh. This temple, dating from the 15th century, continues to draw pilgrims who come here to pray for luck and good fortune. 2304-54: Cambodia, the hill at Wat Phnom in the center of Phnom Penh has become a popular hangout for young people during the celebrations of the Khmer New Year. They throw rice powder on each other, especially on each others cheeks, as a wish for good luck. 2304-55: Cambodia, the hill at Wat Phnom in the center of Phnom Penh has become a popular hangout for young people during the celebrations of the Khmer New Year. They throw rice powder on each other, especially on each others cheeks, as a wish for good luck. 2304-56: Cambodia, the hill at Wat Phnom in the center of Phnom Penh has become a popular hangout for young people during the celebrations of the Khmer New Year. They throw rice powder on each other, especially on each others cheeks, as a wish for good luck. 2304-57: Cambodia, the hill at Wat Phnom in the center of Phnom Penh has become a popular hangout for young people during the celebrations of the Khmer New Year. They throw water on passing cars, motorcycles and pedestrians to wish them good luck. 2304-58: Pagoda of Kompong Tralach. Built in 1910, it was used as a distillery for rice-wine by the Khmer Rouges, before
being restored as a holy site. 2304-59: A young monk in front of the pagoda of Kompong Tralach. Built in 1910, it was used as a distillery for rice-wine by the Khmer Rouges, before being restored as a holy site. 2304-60: A village on the banks of the Mekong River in Cambodia. 2304-61: Floting village on the Tonle Sap Lake, which is the largest reserve of freshwater in South-east Asia. During the torrential rains of the monsoon season, the Tonle Sap River reverses its flow. The lake then grows to 10 times its original size. This unique hydrological phenomenon has been designated as a Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO. 2304-62: Children in front of an painting depicting Angkor Wat in the Pagoda of Kompong Tralach. Built in 1910, it was used as a distillery for rice-wine by the Khmer Rouges, before being restored as a holy site. 2304-63: A fisherman on the Mekong River in Cambodia