Day 229, Saigon to Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Liberation Monument  

Oh my goodness , en effort to write tonight, I'm so ready for bed!

 A long long drive today from Saigon to Phnom Penh in Cambodia. I sat with a nurse from England, Joanne, and we had plenty to talk about, she has also traveled extensively, so time went fast. 

So we crossed the border, which was quite an ordeal. We had to hand our passports to a guide (not ours), first at the Vietnam departure point and then next at the Cambodian entry point. The border crossing is such a big deal (plus the visa was $55.00) that there is even a huge Duty Free store at the border, almost surreal to see this out in the middle of nowhere. I think a few palms get greased in the process of getting us across the border quite quickly. Put it this way, our guide told us that if we attempted the crossing on our own it could take up to 4 or 5 hours waiting.

Independence Monument 

The change of countries was quite obvious when we got into Cambodia. Certainly poorer looking houses (although they're rather basic even in Vietnam) and also most houses are built on piles. 

I'm certainly looking forward to learning more about the rich but sad history of this country.

Finally, after an almost 9 hour trip including breaks, we got to the hotel at 5.00.

View from the hotel 

A tuk tuk ride and a stop at the Independence Monument, which was built in 1958 to commemorate the independence from the French, and next the Liberation Monument, commemorating the defeat of the Khmer Rouge in 1979. Dinner out and now I'm pooped!