[Ho Chi Min City to Chau Doc] Yet another ‘tour’ for us today, but this one will get us out of Vietnam and into Cambodia (country number 11 I think). We are both very tired today – it was a very early start and my sunburn is still not allowing me to sleep. A long bus ride interrupted by a short break at a coffee shop (complete with hammocks – the traffic is so bad sometimes that people stop to snooze) got us out onto the Mekong Delta. Next, a boat tour past a dismal floating market and a ‘product manufacturing center’ where our guide explained and showed the processes involved in the production of various local specialties (puffed rice, coconut toffee sweets, rice paper and rice wine). The remainder of the day was taken up with boat, bicycle and bus rides to eventually get us to a ‘floating hotel’ at Chau Doc.

It was a long day of travel not made any easier by the group of people we were with. I miss our gibbon group friends. We paid bottom dollar for the tour, accommodation and to get out of the country but some of the travelers were expecting 5 (okay maybe 3) star treatment. It was embarrassing to watch them whinge and complain. The Mekong delta was, well, a big delta – nothing special. The tour stops were definitely secondary to the transit and the accommodation was probably the worst we’ve had in Vietnam. Anyway we’re excited to be moving to a new country tomorrow. Tomb Raider country (Cambodia) awaits !

[Pictures: Crossing the Mekong on a huge rusting ferry.]

– Posted from my iPhone via WiFi