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Caption: A Silty River The Mekong
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Caption: We spent eight days and seven nights cruising the Mekong River between
Kampong Cham in Cambodia and
My Tho in Vietnam.
Between the bridge that crosses the river at Kampong Cham and our mooring at My Tho we cruised 520.6kms along the Mekong. An unforgettable experience.
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Caption: A climb up the steps from the Mekong reveals beautiful views over the countryside at Wat Hanchey
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Caption: Wat Hanchey was an important centre of worship during the Chenla period. The buildings that withstood the American bombings during the Vietnam War date back to the 8th century.
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Caption: - Wat Nokor Bachey. Built from black sandstone in the Jayarvaman VII period
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Caption: People who live on the banks of the Mekong eat fish as a main source of protein. They collect firewood floating in the river and use the water for washing and cooking.
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Caption: The fertile silty banks of the Mekong are constantly slipping into the river.
The homes on the edge of the river are constantly under threat of collapse as the banks subside.
Many dredging boats fill barges to carry the silt from the bottom of the river bed to where it is needed to shore up the banks. Many barges are overloaded till they nearly sink.
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Caption: Phnom Penh revealed herself
as we cruised around a sweeping bend in the Mekong on a windy afternoon.
The contrast between the rural communities living along the river and the city was stark.
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Caption: Heading towards the Royal Palace via cyclo.
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Caption: Visiting the Royal Palace in Phnom Penh is a feast for the eyes, even on a rainy day.
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Caption: Wherever you look there is something beautiful to see. A solid silver floor in the Silver Pagoda, beautiful fabrics and costumes, wonderful architecture and decoration on every building are a few of the highlights.
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Caption: The Royal Palace even has a cat!
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Caption: As we crossed the border into Vietnam we saw many people farming thousands of fish under their floating river homes.
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Caption: After the Vietnam War many canals connecting the waterways of the Mekong Delta were dug by South Vietnamese people. We travelled via sampan along the canals of Tan Châu. We saw fish farming , rice growing and fruit and vegetable farming.
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Caption: The canals provide access to the islands in the delta where people live and work. As well as grafting trees for orchards pots are produced for plants and baskets are woven from bamboo.
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Caption: At Cao Lãnh we took a short coach trip to visit Gao Giong (green oasis) where there is a bird sanctuary. Thousands of birds gather in this plain of reeds (Duong Tharp Muoi) to nest.
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Caption: Journey’s End
at Ben Tre and My Tho
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Caption: Thankyou for reading my story
#mekong
#pandawmekong