coconut stall

We were both fascinated by a stall that provided coconut meat, juice and milk.
The nuts are cracked with a machete and the juice collected in clear plastic bags to be sold. The man seated before the blue plastic pan is chopping or shaving the meat. In the back the milk is being expressed from the coconut meat which you can see in the pitcher. Shoppers were buying plastic bags full of milk or coconut juice.

BTW everywhere the Cambodians seem very happy for us to take their picture. It is not unusual for them to stoop and pose.

Phnom Penh Market

We drove to the Market in a tuk-tuk. The market was built in the 30's by the French using an Art Deco Design.
Inside there are many separate stalls selling EVERYTHING! It has the feeling of a giant department store. On the periphery are outside stalls and food market. Markets are my favorite thing to explore (and I think Al enjoys it too!) so I will have several posts.

Odon

We travelled about an hour out of Phnom Penh to the biggest Buddhist Temple in Cambodia. It was build in the last 20 years at the site of an earlier Cambodian capital. Buddhist travel from all over to study and meditate. The entire complex was build and is currently supported through donations.

My iphone pics don't show the vastness of the temple grounds which included libbraries, primary and secondary schools.

We were there late morning and were able to see the monks called to lunch. Also we permitted to wander around the huge, elaborately decorated dining hall as the nuns put the food out for the monks.

Arrival in Phnom Penh

We arrived at night and tied up at Sisowath Quay, right downtown. At night it looked quite exciting but when we awoke the dock looked pretty basic.
Viking put out the signs and pepped the place up! This dock also serves a taxi ferry that takes foot passengers several hours down river to the Viet Nam Border where they must cross the border on foot!
Phnom Penh is at the confluence of the Sap, Mekong and Bassac Rivers. We will continue down the Mekong to Viet Nam.

Al does Tai Chi!

Forgot to mention that Al and sometimes Elise has been doing Tai Chi every morning at 6:30! So far his back has not been giving him problems.

life aboard the river

We spent several hours watching the family who lives on the boat with the green "roof" which was beached right next to our boat. They are snail fishermen and live on the boat. First they pulled up the snails and stones with nets and then they spend hours sorting. Eventually the pile of sorted snails was emptied into 50kg bags, sewn shut and hauled up the road to the top where they were picked. On board were 3 generations and everyone but the youngest worked together 'til the job was done.
Later another family arrived with 3 young children on board. The dad got on our boat and handed our garbage including plastic bottles, cardboard and wet garbage which they hauled away.

The remaining shots are just of families living along the river. This river will rise 30+ feet when the rainy season which will begin in just a few weeks.

Life aboard the Viking Mekong river boat

We were each greeted with coconuts containing coconut juice! it was warm and Al found us Gin and Tonics...our first on this trip. Mostly we have been drinking Angkor beer....VERY good
Our air-conditioned cabin is compact and small and the bath is newly refurbished and quite acceptable with room to hang our daily laundry.

We are usually up before 6am when lattes are available and breakfast which includes everything imaginable is served at 7am. (By 8am we are usually on our way!

The sundeck is the only place where the internet seems to work and Al is usually there first thing to down load his newspapers.