On to Cambodia!

We left Saigon, and 5 of our fantastic travelling buddies, early Sunday morning to head up Vietnam and into Cambodia. We kept two of our friends from Vietnam, Rich and Vanessa, and have another 4 lovely girls for our next week through Cambodia. It was really sad leaving the others in Saigon as we had such a brilliant group but I guess you just get on. We bussed several hours up Vietnam to Chau Doc, having to get off the bus a couple of times for some 10 minute river crossings on boats, and took motos up to the top of a large mountain, Mount Sam, to watch the sunset over a massive delta covered in rice paddies and farm land. The delta used to be Cambodian land but was conquered by the French many years ago during their rule of Vietnam and reclaimed as Vietnamese territory. Watching the sun set from the top of Mount Sam, we could see why. The fields were large, flat and extremely lush and the entire delta was surrounded by mountains. It was breathtaking and something that a photo could not do justice to. We headed out for a few drinks with some Vietnamese friends of our new intrepid leader, Sam, and drank Vietnamese Beer Hoi at around 20c a 1 litre bottle and also tasted what they say is banana wine - didn't taste at all like banana - more like tequila. While we were there, the power went out and we were entertained for an hour or so by our cyclo drivers who tested their english on us (very basic) and told us about the weeks that went by that they made little, or no, money. Many of them sleep in their cyclos while their wives and children live with relatives. They have amazingly sad stories and yet smile constantly and are so appreciative of the small amount we pay them to take us around the town. We left for Cambodia on Monday morning by a small, motor boat up the Mekong River. Around an hour from Chau Doc, we stopped at the Vietnamese border to get stamped out where we played - hand slapping, peknuckle - man, they are fast! - and spoke english with the kids for an hour or so (some problem with visas...?) only to be told, eventually, that we weren't to play with the kids any longer as the guards were there to protect us and some of the tourists didn't like the kids bugging them. We watched while one of the girls, 15 years old and as sweet as pie, had the water she was selling ripped from her hands by one of the guards who refused to give it back. Apparently, punishment for what the guards considered to be bugging us. She spent the next 15 minutes crying and we could only imagine what punishment would await her when she returned home without the water and without the cash. Around 50 metres down the river and we were off the boat again to be admitted through the Cambodian border. The entire trip along the Mekong, around 6 hours, we were waved at by children, and some adults, along the banks of the river, from riverhouses and fishing boats. You are made to feel very welcome in Vietnam and Cambodia alike.