18th day We leave Siem Reap

Getting up early is not easy for us, but when you have breakfast in the middle of a tropical garden at 7:00 am with 23 degrees, the world is more than alright.

Afterwards, we are picked up and off we go. Since the large lake located near Siem Reap is not navigable during the current dry season, we have to be driven by car across Cambodia to Kampong Cham. Kampong Cham is the second largest city in Cambodia and is located on the Mekong River. The journey takes a solid 4.5 hours and leads through small villages and endless rice fields. The country is flat, without any elevations.

Upon arrival, the crew is already waiting and we move into our cabin. The ship is cute and the crew is super friendly.

After the usual safety briefing, there is an excellent lunch and even the chronicler has no objections to these Asian dishes, just like on all previous days. To not be misunderstood, during all restaurant visits in Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia, we receive simple dishes, but prepared with love and flawless in taste, not like the concoction of European and supposedly Asian ingredients that claim to be the latest trend but that I personally consider to be affected showmanship meant to justify high prices. So, that had to be said, but anyone can believe that it is the ultimate in cooking.

After lunch, there is a small performance by children from an orphanage. It's very sweet to see how much effort the children put into it. Then the ship docks and first the children disembark, followed by the passengers who board a bus for a sightseeing tour. Today, we have seen enough and sat in the car, so we stay on board and treat ourselves to a five-o'clock tea, very pleasant with a light breeze from the Mekong and at 32 degrees.

Later, there is dinner and I am also looking forward to the Asian dishes and will reject the international dishes.