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Day 12
2nd August 2012
This morning we head to the Mekong Delta. We travel by bus which takes us around 2 and a half hours. When we arrive we get on board our boat which is going to take us to the floating market and then on down the river. The floating market is a mass of boats selling and buying mostly fruit and veg. Our guild Mr Hi points out the bamboo poles at the front of each boat and on the top is a sample of which each boat is selling. We continue down the river and stop at a local craft place. We are shown how they make rice paper, coconut sweets, rice wine (50% proof) and rice cakes. Once we have been shown how they make all the goods we are given some time to wonder around their shop. Emmy decides to try the snake rice wine which is sold in bottles with a snake inside but on the side there is a huge jar full of wine and a rather large snake. I decide to give this a miss as Bond had already told us a storey earlier in the tour about when he drank some and spent most of the night on the toilet. We board our boat again and head off down the river until we reach a group of row boats. We stop and one by one each row boat pulls up along side and we climb on in groups of four. We are all given Chinese hats and I'm in a boat with Tracy, Sharon and Russell and we all start taking photos of one another and then start taking photos of B, Michael, Gill and Simon in one of the other boats. We are taken down the river until we meet with our boat again and we all climb back on board and head off again to stop for lunch. We pull in for lunch and are told about the specials of the area which are jumbo prawns and elephant ear fish. I had read in a guid book that the elephant ear fish looks amazing but tastes muddy as if it has just come out of the Mekong river. I opt for the safe option of spring rolls. After lunch we head back along the river back towards the coach and within minutes of setting off the sky turns black and the heavens open. After about ten minutes the rain easies off and before long we are back on the dock and boarding our bus for a drive back. We arrive back around 17:30 and I head off for a sleep before dinner. We meet up at 19:30 for dinner but only 2 of the new members of the group have joined us Emmy and Stephane. We go to a restaurant which does western and Asian food so I pick to go Mexican for a change. Even my drinks are Mexican tonight as i opt for margaritas as they are buy 2 get one free. We finish our meal and walk back to the hotel and say our goodbyes to Beatrice and Michael, it's hard again saying goodbye as they are such a lovely couple and look so good together. Off to bed for an early start in the morning leaving at 07:00 to go to Cambodia.
Notes:
Vietnam’s ‘rice basket’, the Mekong Delta is a watery landscape of green fields and sleepy villages, everywhere crisscrossed by the brown canals and rivulets fed by the mighty Mekong River. Its inhabitants – stereotyped as friendly and easygoing – have long toiled on the life-sustaining river, with their labours marked by the same cycles governing the waterways.
The delta, which yields enough rice to feed the country with a sizable surplus, was formed by sediment deposited by the Mekong. The process continues today, with silt deposits extending the shoreline by as much as 80m per year. The river is so large that it has two daily tides. Lush with rice paddies and fish farms, this delta plain also nourishes the cultivation of sugarcane, fruit, coconut and shrimp. Although the area is primarily rural, it is one of the most densely populated regions in Vietnam and nearly every hectare is intensively farmed.
The uniquely southern charm with its welcoming introduction to life along the river is the real draw, and visitors can explore quaint riverside towns, sample fruits bartered in the colourful floating markets or dine on home-cooked delicacies before overnighting as a homestay guest. Other highlights include visits to local orchards, flower markets and fish farms. There are also bird sanctuaries, rustic beach getaways like Hon Chong and impressive Khmer pagodas in the regions around Soc Trang and Tra Vinh.
Those seeking an idyllic retreat will find it in Phu Quoc, a forested island dotted with pretty beaches, freshwater springs and empty dirt roads (ideal for motorbike adventures). Good diving and white-sand beauty have led to its growing popularity, with a mix of cheap bungalows and five-star resorts along an uncrowded coastline.
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