Cambodia to Vietnam

(This post is a follow up from our trip around the world. I will be writing a recap for each place we visited during our 4 month trip. Prior to Vietnam we also visited India, Nepal, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore and Cambodia).

- The bus ride from Phnom Penh to Ho Chi Minh was really striking. Looking at the blue skies, green patties, and the occasional person or animal dotting the landscape was a great way to pass time during the 6 hour trip.

- We had to cross the Mekong on a ferry, while on the bus. There were all kinds of sales people hawking their goods and foods. There were some odd things for sale, including snake, locusts, and what looked like small fried birds in their entirety. It was a reality check to see such young children selling things.

- Soon after there was a lively market that we passed and people were hauling monstrous loads. We also saw a donkey with a trailer filled with bananas.

- Food rules everything here. I was amazed to watch other local travelers on our bus pack away one thing after the next. Then came a man from the front who decided it would be better to enjoy his meal towards the back of the bus - directly behind us. I could not stop laughing as Stefan and I gave each other looks, because he was loudly enjoying whatever he was eating.

- Right before we crossed the Vietnam border we were surprised to see so many casinos. They looked especially gaudy considering how enormous and decadent they were in such basic surrounds. Customs and immigration were relatively painless we had to take everything off the bus and then have our visas checked. The only noticable difference in Vietnam was many of radio antennas on the roof tops.