It was an early start with the group for our first full day on the Mekong River. After Tai Chi on the terrace deck and breakfast in the Viceroy Dining Hall, we disembarked for our first adventure of the day.
Instead of walking up the steep embankment to the hilltop of Wat Hanchey, many guests chose to take advantage of the ‘motorbike ride up the hill’ option. Once at the summit we were treated to a 360-degree panoramic view overlooking the mighty Mekong River and commenced our exploration of this fascinating temple and monastery. It was a peculiar mixture of monuments of fruit, vegetables and animals and a pre-Angkorian 7th century temple. Our wonderful Cambodian guides Rithy and Vuthy introduced us Theravada Buddhism and this area with their fascinating and incredible knowledge.
Once back on board, local monks gave us a traditional blessing. The remainder of the morning and early afternoon was spent relaxing on Jahan and watching daily river life on the Mekong.
Immediately after our cultural expert David Brotherson’s excellent presentation on Cambodian past and present religions, we disembarked again and explored the remote village of Angkor Ban. This was our opportunity to see how rural Cambodian people lived, worked and played. Despite the language barrier, it was truly wonderful to witness guests interacting with the families, especially the local children. We were welcomed with open arms and even taken into traditional houses. It was an eye-opening experience for many of us and touched our hearts and souls. The Khmer people are such happy, friendly and truly remarkable in numerous ways.
We were back on board by 5 o’clock, and Jahan immediately cast off. Many of us quickly made our way to the top deck to watch a magical sunset before retreating for a scrumptious dinner. Our first full day on the mighty Mekong River was memorable.
