Cruising Along the Mekong: Visiting Islands
Sunday, February 8, 2026
Morning dawned after a good night’s sleep on our new home.
Our busy day was about to begin, starting with a sumptuous breakfast with both Asian and North American options, including real maple syrup and peanut butter.
Then it was time for our first excursion, an oxcart ride. Yes … a large two wheeled wagon pulled by two oxen with a driver. There were approximately forty oxcarts moving down the road in single file. It was a bit of a bumpy ride but certainly an interesting and entertaining way to see the community.
We passed through a country town that was filled with markets and shops with every form of food or merchandise that you can imagine, even fried crickets and other insects. Crowds of people were moving in and out of shops, visiting on the streets, or simply sitting and watching the oxcarts go by. The oxcart drivers were happy with the additional income this would provide for them.
We stopped at a small shopping area and disembarked. There, the rest of the cruise passengers were waiting to ride the carts back to the ship. We used ‘the happy room’ (we would be offered several ‘happy rooms’ each day as it is unpleasant to refer to these facilities as toilets).
We boarded the bus and travelled a distance to a very large and prominent temple where a special blessing ceremony was underway.
We were invited to participate if we wished. Shoes off, knees and shoulders covered. Kneeling or sitting and listening to two monks reciting a lengthy blessing in a language that is only known by the monks. We were very impressed that they had memorized and recited an 8 minute blessing in a non-spoken language in unison without error. It was very humbling. Lotus blossoms were tossed out over the crowd as the blessing was recited.
This temple is home to hundreds of monks (all dressed in orange robes) and hundreds of nuns (heads shaved and all dressed in white robes). The youngest nuns and monks were about 8 years old, perhaps joining the monastery due to financial issues in the family and/or a lack of food. Some did not have their heads shaved. They were among the group that had not yet determined if this was a life commitment for them.
Today was a special day at this temple and a meal was being prepared for approximately 6000 people … yes, 6000. Vast pots of food were cooking; incredible piles of herbs, fruit and vegetables were being cleaned and chopped.
When the food was ready, all the monks and nuns lined up in what looked like chronological order, the oldest first, carrying dishes which would be filled with food. The vast line moved ahead slowly and in perfect silence. Only a very few of those in line made eye contact with those of us who were watching. The youngest nuns with unshaven heads were last in line. I have no doubt that there was no shortage of food for them, even though they were at the end of this long and silent line.
When we arrived at the temple, a group of very young girls approached us selling lotus blossoms, one dollar for five blossoms. I promised one girl that I would buy a bunch when we got back to the bus. As I approached the bus, she came running, happy to see me and exchange blossoms for cash. $1.00 American is a lot of money in Cambodia.
Likewise, a young woman walked along side me most of the time we were in the temple complex. She was selling beautiful silver jewellery. Once again, I told her I would buy a bracelet from her when we got back to the bus. She spoke some English and explained a bit about the temple as we toured through the vast grounds. After about an hour or more of touring, she was still close at hand. She then told me that she was not allowed to go into the area where the busses were and would I buy a bracelet then. I negotiated the price with her and now own a beautiful silver bracelet with tiny elephants carved into it.
On the bus again, we headed back to the ship. Amazingly, it was only lunch time. What a busy morning.
Following lunch, we ventured out on another tour, this time to a silk factory. We boarded the bus again and went a short distance to our first stop. We visited the home of some women who created products made from silk. The blankets and fabrics they designed and created were beautiful.
We then boarded the bus again and headed to an actual silk farm. We disembarked from the bus and took tuk tuks to a ferry terminal. We walked from the tuktuk to the ferry down a very steep hill. We crossed the Mekong River and once again loaded onto tuk tuks, four per vehicle and travelled to a silk farm. The landscape was agricultural with precision rows of various vegetables, lots of rice and some fruit trees.
The silk farm was fascinating. Moths (male and female) mated for as long as twelve hours, creating lots of eggs which transformed into miniscule silkworms. The worms fed on leaves and gradually grew from a tiny speck to about 3 centimetres in length. That took several days. When the worms had grown sufficiently, they spun a cocoon where they would transform into moths. But most cocoons were harvested for silk prior to that transformation. The cocoons were placed in boiling water and then opened to retrieve the very fine silk strand that had formed inside the cocoon. Each cocoon can provide almost a mile of almost invisibly thin silk thread. (Each silkworm cocoon contains a single continuous fiber of raw silk ranging from approximately 1,000 feet to nearly one mile (about 1,000–1,600 meters) in length. It generally takes about 2,500 to 3,000 cocoons to produce one pound (0.5 kg) of raw silk.)
Those threads are harvested on a spinning wheel with great care. Once enough thread is harvested, it is dyed in various colours and placed on a loom to weave a range of products – fabric for shirts or dresses, scarves, heavier fabric for purses and bags, toy animals and more.
The time required to create each object is determined by the size and pattern of the article being created. The minimum would be several days due to the delicacy of the silk threads. It was a fascinating process from start to finish.
I left out one point of interest. The cocoons that have been boiled can be eaten after the silk threads are removed. It apparently is a good source of protein. Although offered, only one person in our group indulged. Not particularly tasty was the comment.
Back to the ferry, we went by tuk tuk again. We dismounted and walked onto the ferry, crossed the river and began the long trek up the hill. I have to confess, I was exhausted by this point and asked our guide if I could use a tuk tuk instead. In true Emerald fashion, he hailed a tuk tuk and Jim and I met the group at the bus.
I have been very grateful to the staff of the Emerald Cruiseline for the kindness and support they have provided as I needed it.
Back on board, the day was not yet over. A lovely pre-dinner drink in the lounge and another delicious meal in the dining room preceded an evening outing.
More tuktuks. This time the entire group of travellers were lined up, two to each tuktuk and we were taken on a whirlwind tour of Phnom Penh at night. It was a Sunday evening, just after dark. At home the streets would generally be quiet as people retired to their homes. In Phnom Penh that party was just getting started. The streets were jam packed with cars, tuktuks, scooters, bicycles and pedestrians. Lanes for travelling were totally irrelevant as vehicles careened around one another in any direction in any lane. Stop signs and traffic signals were totally irrelevant. Pedestrians put their lives at risk as they stepped off the curbs into the roadways. It was total chaos!!! Thousands of people were eating on sidewalk tables as crowds spilled out of restaurants. Street food stands attracted line-ups of hungry patrons. Vehicles of all kinds dodged one another trying to get to their destination of choice. U-turns in the midst of traffic were commonplace. Horns dominated the soundscape. But somehow it all worked. Our driver swerved and turned with the best of them, periodically calling out some point of interest for us. We could not really hear him because of the cacophony around us. We were on the road with him for about an hour, never really fearful but certainly astounded. When we got back to the ship, passengers joined in describing their experiences and raising a glass celebrating that we all made it back in one piece. What a night it was!!
Monday, February 9, 2026
And another day has dawned. Jim has headed out on another excursion this morning but I have stayed on board. It has been fun writing about our experiences yesterday and reviewing some of the photos. Breakfast was leisurely and delicious … I was the last person to leave the dining room.
Jim and most of our fellow passengers left the ship to experience the Cambodian Killing Fields where so many Cambodians were killed or injured and left to die on orders of the country’s leader, Pol Pot.
The group returned for lunch and then headed out again to visit the Genocide Museum, located in a school that was formerly used as a prison and interrogation centre prior to people being killed during the Pol Pot regime. Both excursions today were very informative about the history of Cambodia but also very emotional as they faced the reality of extensive deaths.
Meanwhile, I explored the ship and found the quiet and secluded library/lounge overlooking the bow. What a lovely calm space it was. Close by, there was an unknown balcony area and a different staircase to reach our cabin. I also happened upon a window into the bridge. Three uniformed men were guiding the ship. I waved at them and got a wave in return.
Just having the time has been a gift. And, of course, time to keep up writing about this adventure and sort some of the many pictures we have taken. I am about to book a spa treatment and plan to go swimming. (I managed to do both!) What a treat ‘a day at home’ is.
Late in the day, we enjoyed a dance presentation by a number of young men and women who are expending considerable time and energy to learn traditional Cambodian dances. The costumes were colourful and reflective of the culture. With great energy, they performed several dances with live drums and instruments. Of course, the passengers on this cruise thoroughly enjoyed the performances.
An excellent dinner followed and then lots of conversation and beverages with our group of fellow travellers.
Tuesday, February 10, 2026
The day dawned bright and beautiful. Our ship was underway and by the time we woke up, we had already crossed the border and returned to Viet Nam. The Mekong River is very, very wide and, at one point, I could count more than twenty other ships within sight of our own. What a busy waterway!!
Once again today, Jim headed out on an interesting excursion which involved quite a bit of walking and transferring from one vehicle to another. I decided, based on the description of the excursion, that I would not likely be able to keep up with the group. So once again, I stayed onboard, disappointed but also sensible.
I enjoyed a leisurely breakfast and then headed to the spa for a facial and a foot massage. It was so relaxing that I actually fell asleep on the table. By the time the treatments were complete, it was time to go for lunch. Several passengers in our group were also onboard so I had some lovely companions as we enjoyed another delicious lunch.
Actually, although the lunch was delicious, there were some unusual items on the buffet that were selected by only the bravest of diners. Tarantulas, grasshoppers, frogs, cockroaches and crickets, all deep fried, were on offer. I had earlier made a statement that if insects were part of the menu at any point, I would eat some of them. And, I did. I chewed and swallowed a large tarantula, a couple of crickets and a grasshopper. They were crunchy but also quite tasteless. I did remove the tarantula’s legs. I could not put them in my mouth. (I forgot to take any photos ... rats!)
More work this afternoon on the blog and photo books as well as a brief look at world news. It did not take long to turn the tv off. The news is so depressing and the Olympics are not available on the viewing system we have onboard.
Later in the afternoon, the ambitious explorers all returned with many stories about the people they met and the experiences and conversations they had had. It sounded like a wonderful outing.
Before dinner, we were treated to a Dragon Dance performance by a group of award-winning students. Later this year several of them will travel to Singapore to participate in a dance event with students from other nations. They were filled with energy, wearing very heavy costumes and dancing with great enthusiasm and enjoyment. Drummers accompanied them very rhythmically. It was all great fun.
Following the dancing, we were treated to a delicious dinner of festive Cambodian food, served at our tables by the ship’s crew. A glass of wine accompanied everyone’s dinner. Delicious only barely describes the meal.
After dinner, there was a trivia night in the lounge. Questions about the world’s rivers and more specifically about the Emerald tour and the ship we are on. There was lots of laughter and gentle competition. In the end, none of the groups from our own larger yellow group won prizes. But we all had a very good time.
Laundry is in the works as we are running out of clean clothes and then another day is done. We are well over halfway through this cruise. Based on this experience, I am sure we will be doing another one.
Wednesday, February 11, 2026
What a lovely sight to greet the day. The Mekong River is right outside our window and we were travelling swiftly along to our next destination. Breakfast, as always, was plentiful and delicious. We only had a few minutes to return to our cabin and prepare for an outing.
Today we are travelling by sampan
The first stop was at a business that both made and sold incense sticks. Much of the work was done by hand although there were some interesting machines that were important in the process. First, the various materials were ground into fine sand; different scents and colours were applied to half of the thin wooden stick that would ultimately be burned and cause the gentle odor of the incense to fill the air. The fine powder that carried the aromas was ground by machine and then transferred to another piece of equipment. Fine sticks of wood shot through a tiny hole in this machine where about half the stick was coated with the powder that held the aroma. The sticks were then gathered together in groups of about 100 to be packaged and made available for sale or shipping.
We boarded the tuktuks again and continued on our journey around the island.
Mangoes, bananas and coconuts were growing in most yards and along the roads. Some properties had large orchards that produced fruit twice each year. Mangoes
need to be protected from insect damage and as soon as they reach a certain stage of maturity, they are covered in white plastic bags to ensure that the insects do not spoil the crop. Coconuts, with their hard shells, can grow independently.
Bananas also need to be covered at a certain stage of development. Today, they were simply small green fruits growing in large bundles.
We passed through several villages as we travelled across the island. Houses were a similar size and shape and wide open to the visitor’s eye. We were surprised to see some exquisite furniture in such modest households. We learned that much of the furniture has been handed down generation by generation and could be as old as 100 years. So beautifully carved and so well cared for, even in the most modest of homes. Several generations live in the same households.
It was a drizzly day but most people seemed to be busy working at various tasks outdoors. Many people stopped to smile and wave at us as we passed by. Children, especially, were excited to greet us. Beautiful smiles and lots of laughter were shared. Scooters and bicycles were the primary forms of transportation with the occasional pickup truck and one very large transport that took up substantial space on the roads.
We stopped in a second village to visit an artisan who was building a boat. It was interesting to watch his process and skill. He was adding the top layer of wood around the rim of the boat. First, he fed the board through hot flames but he did not burn it. T
his process made the board more pliable so that it could be fitted to the curved edge of the boat. Small nails had already been put in place and he pounded them into the boat to secure this final board to the ones already in place. A black tar-like substance was applied to ensure it was leak averse. He was very skillful at his work. Clearly, he had done it many times before. He told us that he would sell the boat for about $200 US dollars, a great price for a handsome handmade boat.
We continued on to a third village. Along the way, we saw several Christian churches. One, in particular, was very large and ornate.
Quite different from the modest mosques and the range of Buddhist temples we have seen in other places.
We stopped at one lovely home for a taste of mango freshly picked from the array of mango trees that form the basis of their family income. We were invited into their home where they shared the history of the building (about 100 years old) and the stories of the stunning furniture that enhanced their living spaces. Most of the furniture is also about 100 years old, well maintained by previous generations, and still is used regularly in this home.
We enjoyed tasting the fresh mangoes and hearing the stories of how the orchard has grown and how it is maintained. This family now exports fresh and dried mangos to many countries. We could not resist purchasing some dried mango to carry home with us.
We returned to the sampan and headed back to our ship. It was almost lunch time and the chefs had outdone themselves on this occasion. There was a signature dish from six different Asian countries, each one unique and delicious. What an array of gorgeous and tasty foods. It is a wonder that they are able to have on hand all the ingredients they need to prepare interesting, tasty, fresh food three times each day for a large group of people. We are very happy with the meals that are created.
After lunch, we were soon off again, this time to My An Hung Island where we walked and walked and walked. It was a beautiful setting along a wide creek that separated the town into two parts.
We started in a large household property where we were treated to an indoor concert featuring two traditional Vietnamese instruments. One was very similar to a guitar … five strings played with a hand. The other instrument was a long narrow piece of wood with a single string that ran from top to bottom. It was played with a bow and was described as a form of violin. The bow stroked across the string near the bottom of the instrument and the musician’s fingers loosened or tightened the tension on the string to create a variety of notes. A vocalist sang along while the musicians played their instruments. It was described as traditional music but to me, it sounded like three different notes that did not blend well together. I appreciated the effort but did not enjoy the sound.
We moved outside and sat at tables for a cup of tea and two treats that were being prepared in front of us. One was a heart-shaped pancake that was slightly sweet. It was baked in a cast iron pan with heart-shaped openings where the batter could cook.
The whole pan was placed over an open fire and flipped from side to side until the batter had baked. It was very tasty. A cup of peculiar tasting tea was also available. Not to my liking at all.
Our hosts and their children were very kind and friendly. The children especially liked to ‘high five’ and say ‘hello’ and one little girl showed me a lovely drawing she had made. They were delightful.
We left the courtyard and went for a lengthy walk through a residential area beside the creek.
It seemed to be a somewhat upscale community with ornamental gardens with many varieties of flowers as well as productive patches. Mangoes, coconuts, red hot peppers and various vegetables were growing well. There was lots of water available to help them along.
We crossed on a well-built bridge and walked back toward our starting point. More lovely homes, friendly children, laundry hanging on lines and people at work in their gardens. This walkway was also well used by scooters who claimed the right of way no matter how many of us were potentially in the way.
We walked along a well-kept walkway and enjoyed looking at the various gardens and some of the ancestral furniture that was still in use in many homes. We paused at one home where a woman was making large clay pots using a plastic basket as a form.
We passed a second bridge and stopped in a coconut grove owned by a retired teacher. Of course, we had to try the coconut milk and meat picked freshly from the tree. Some enjoyed it and others did not.
This sizeable yard was also filled with cages for roosters. The cacophony was quite entertaining. Several of the cages were covered with cloth to encourage the roosters to refrain from crowing. What we were told was that these roosters were not very good at mingling with one another or with hens so they came to live here until a more suitable living space became available.
We left the roosters behind and walked back to the bridge where we could cross the creek and return to our sampan. Although the sky was grey and the air was humid, we made it through the afternoon with no rain. Back on board, we all returned to our rooms for a rest. It had been a busy and active morning and afternoon.
The delights of the day were not over. We went to the Lounge for a pre-dinner drink and were treated to a lovely fashion show featuring several of the crew on our ship. Wedding and celebration fashions were modelled by four pairs of men and women, representing four countries in this region – Viet Nam, Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar.
They were dressed in various clothing and described how each of the apparel would be used in a celebration in their home countries. We were impressed with how well they spoke English and how descriptive they were as they talked about the various pieces of clothing they were wearing and how the clothing would enhance the celebrations they would attend. Quite delightful.
We ate dinner with a couple from British Columbia and, of course, shared travel stories and dreams of where we might go next. The food was especially delicious tonight and the company was very pleasant.
The evening was topped off with a movie on the pool deck about life on the Mekong River. It was very informative and entertaining as it illustrated how much more there is to see and learn about this river and this part of the world. We have merely scratched the surface this week.
Tomorrow will be another busy day. Time to go to bed.
Thursday, February 12, 2026
Following breakfast , we took a short ride on a sampan to Sa Dec City
where we visited a historic house that reflects a story of romance between two people who lived in the city. A book named L’Amant was written by Marguerite Dumas and has since been made into a movie. Due to some descriptive scenes in the movie, only twenty minutes of the movie is allowed to be shown in Viet Nam. The movie is ‘too hot’ to be seen in this country.
Following our visit to the home, we walked through the enormous market. Traditional items such as fruits and vegetables were displayed on tables. Other more unusual items such as live chickens, various fish, also live, all sorts of meats, turtles, crabs by the bushel, and frogs were available. Vendors plucking chickens, skinning fish, bagging fermented cabbage, cleaning fish … this is why it is called a wet market. (Sadly, my camera stopped working as we walked through the market.)
Shoppers, vendors, delivery people and all sorts of scooters filled the aisles of the market.
It was tricky to walk through the chaos, especially if we wanted to stop and take photos. In spite of the chaos, it was actually well organized and crowded with vendors and shoppers and tourists such as ourselves.
It was a hot day and we were all grateful to return to the comfortable air conditioned ship for a delicious lunch.
After lunch we headed off again, this time to a small island, Tan Phong, near Cai Be. We travelled by tuktuk on the island.
Our first stop was at a small factory that made rice paper and rice ‘popcorn’ as well as selling some other interesting crafted items. It was fun to watch the process of making popcorn and it tasted pretty good.
They also produce a form of whiskey from rice. Jim was not fond of it. It was pretty strong stuff.
We visited a hyacinth garden where the stems of the flowers were dried and made into baskets.
What an amazing guide he was!
As we learned in an earlier visit to a basket shop, it is tedious work and takes a long time to complete even one basket. Hyacinth plants not only grow in the soil, but there are thousands of clumps of leaves and a few flowers floating along the Mekong. Hyacinths came to Viet Nam from the Amazon basin. They have continued to flourish here and are used in many crafts.
Tan Phong has lots of silt that is good for tropical fruit orchards.
We went on a tuk tuk ride and saw mangoes, jackfruit, durian and two kinds of apples as well as several beautiful flowers, especially yellow and red chrysanthemums.
We then enjoyed a cup of tea and sampled jackfruit, durian, star apple, pineapple, longans and rambutans.
Durians were our least favourite because they have a strong odor and are actually banned from buildings due to their lingering stench. They did not taste nearly as bad as they smell.
It was late in the afternoon when we returned to our air conditioned ship. It was a relief to be in out of the heat. We relaxed until dinner time when we were served a delicious meal with several choices on the menu. We have nothing but praise for the chef and his crew. The food is always delicious and beautifully served.
There was also a disco event following dinner but Jim and I were tired from the busy day and spent time in our room instead.
Good night.
Friday, February 13, 2026
This is our last full day on the ship. No excursions, simply wonderful meals, interesting companions and packing up to move on. Tonight we dock in Ho Chi Minh City. Tomorrow there is an excursion planned to the ‘tunnels’, dug during the Vietnam War as a refuge for the residents of Ho Chi Minh when bombs were being dropped.
Later, we will go to our hotel for one night and have a final meal together. Then, we disperse and leave on various flights to various destinations, carrying all the memories of this amazing journey with us.
Today, we are enjoying a smooth sail along the Mekong River,
followed by the Cho Gao Canal. It is amazing how much ship traffic there is, large vessels passing close by one another in the canal.
We have passed through many small villages, children waving as we pass. A variety of housing is built along the riverside, ranging from very modest to extremely elegant. There are some domiciles right on boats, laundry hanging from lines, fishing equipment at hand, bags and boxes stored on the deck.
During the afternoon, two onboard tours were offered to the passengers. The first was an invitation to the bridge to meet the captain and his crew as well as seeing the navigation aids they use as well as the buttons and levers and electronic maps and a myriad of other equipment required to operate the vessel. It was fascinating!!
Later in the afternoon we were invited into the galley to see the space and equipment available to prepare all the varied and delicious meals we have enjoyed. It amazed us that up to seven people could work in such a small space and create delicious and attractive meals for about 120 guests and crew several times a day.
As today was our final day on this ship, there was packing and organization to be done. There was also a lovely thank you ceremony to thank all the staff for their kindness, support and hard work. A delicious festive meal followed and then we headed to our cabin, frankly pretty tired from all the activities on board and on land for the last two weeks.
Sleep will be a great antidote.
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