Trip to Vietnam and Cambodia

My wife and I just got back from a boat trip up the Mekong River from Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City) to Siem Reap, Cambodia. It was a fascinating adventure. In reverse order, Siem Reap is a small town a few hours north of Phnom Penh. Outside of town, the Angkor Wat temple was amazing but unless you have a great camera, don't bother getting up at 4am for the sunrise. An iPhone just won't do the view justice. Keep in mind that there are many other temples to see.

Phnom Penh surprised me. I wasn't expecting a skyline with many buildings under construction. Evidently, the Chinese are actively pursuing Cambodia due to low labor costs (earning $300/month there is considered pretty good). Outside of Phnom Penh, taking a tour of the Killing Fields is a must. Most Americans have no idea that the Khmer Rouge under Pol Pot murdered over 3 million Cambodians. It is a truly tragic story.

Saigon is worth visiting as well, particularly the Cu Chi tunnels built and used by the Viet Cong. Few people outside of Vietnam realize that 5,000 Americans (and 50,000 South Vietnamese) were killed there. They've doubled the size of the tunnels for tourists but they still freaked me out and the booby traps are absolutely terrifying. I can't imagine a more difficult duty for US GI's than crawling through them.

All in all, it was worth the 22 hour flight to get there. The people in both countries are generally delightful and the sights are often compelling. I'd recommend www.gadventures.com for anyone looking to make the journey.

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