We stopped at a couple of cities in Cambodia, though we had visited both just a year ago. I wanted to visit the Killing Fields and the Genocide Museum in Phnom Penh; our previous visit was too short and we did were not able to visit. And, we wanted to return to Siem Reap.

We took the VIP Cambodia Post van to get from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap. It is a 6-hour trip which can be done by bus, van, or boat. We did the journey by postal van last year and enjoyed it, so we decided to try it again. The postal service in Cambodia rents out seats in their vans for scheduled runs between major cities. It is a cheap and fun way to get from place to place. I guess I have become inured to the way of driving in SE Asia. Last year when we went from Siem Reap to Phnom Penh, I was petrified much of the time (From Siem Reap to Phnom Penh: The ultimate game of chicken). This time around, I was much more chill – pass directly into oncoming traffic? No problem! Run someone off the road? No problem! Drive down the middle of the road? No problem!

I know it’s weird, but we did not revisit Angkor Wat while in Siem Reap. It is spectacular, but one visit was enough for us. Besides, I ended up getting sick for our entire stay in Siem Reap and spending hours in the blazing sun when ill is not worth it. So, we visited the APOPO Hero Rat Visitor’s Center and relaxed at our hotel.

The final leg of our journey will take us to Bangkok, and then we will head home.

Phnom Penh

APOPO Visitor Center

Siem Reap, Cambodia

After 3 weeks, we have left Vietnam and are now in Cambodia. We survived Tet. Though it was an interesting time to be in Vietnam, it was also challenging because almost everything shuts down – for up to 10 days. This made finding meals a bit difficult! But, the cities were decorated to the hilt which made for a festive atmosphere.

We took a boat trip from Saigon to Phnom Penh, which took a total of 3 days. It wasn’t quite what we expected, but parts of it were marvelous. Watching the sun set over the Mekong while gently floating along was magical. And, the sunrise wasn’t too shabby, either.

And, we are surviving the heat! While our friends back in Seattle are snowed in, we are adjusting to temperatures in the mid-90’s.

Ho Chi Minh City

Mekong Eyes from Saigon to Phnom Penh

Along the coast of Vietnam are three unique cities – Hué, Da Nang, and Hoi An. After the kinetic energy of Hanoi, we wanted to experience something different. Hue is known for its Imperial City; Da Nang for its beaches and the Marble Mountains; Hoi An for its Ancient Town.

Vietnam is in full swing preparing for the Lunar New Year (Tet). The streets are lined with yellow and red flowers; businesses have decorated Tet trees and signs wishing “Chúc Mừng Năm Mới”. Tet is not a one-day long celebration. Businesses close down as people travel to spend the time with their families. It as an interesting time to be in Vietnam!

Hué, Vietnam

Da Nang, Vietnam

Hoi An, Vietnam