We were pulling out of Phnom Penh early, some took the opportunity to take one last quick walk in the city, some took the chance to sleep in (relatively speaking), some chose Tai Chi, and some chose to watch the day unfold from the top deck.
After pulling away from Phnom Penh and having a delicious breakfast, it was time for the much anticipated talk from Dr. Jean Michel Filippi, 50 years of Cambodian Modern History. As promised it was as informative as it was entertaining. It was very interesting to hear of Dr. Jean’s research and his angle on the recent history of Cambodia.
It was nice to have the change of pace on the ship; most of us went to the top deck to soak it all in. As we cruised along, we were not only leaving Phnom Penh, but we were leaving Cambodia all together—we were entering Vietnam. Pretty quickly after passing the border there were noticeable differences in the way of life of the residents along the riverbanks—things that may not have been as noticeable if we had not become so immersed and connected to the Cambodian people and their culture!
In the afternoon we had a presentation from the immeasurably talented, yet surprisingly modest naturalist, Chris Cook. He took us on a journey through the greater Mekong by describing the topography and biodiversity found within the region! (Please note, Chris is also the author of this Expedition Report.)
We had a fantastic hands-on cooking class in the afternoon. It was a lot of fun for those who attended and there was the added advantage of getting to taste the results of the workshop when we were all done!
We finished the day by meeting our Vietnamese guides, having a lovely dinner, and watching a very interesting documentary on Ho Chi Minh!
A big day, and we all slept well once it was done!
