Awoke to the sounds of roosters crowing and the world of the Mekong Delta starting the day. After breakfast we floated down the river on a sampan (the traditional rowboat) arriving at our motorized boat to take us back to the mainland. What a beautiful calming ride. Then it was off to a local nursery where all the local plants are propagated and many are the tropical fruits we have eaten. Another platter of fruit was presented to us to eat and also some caramel wine which tasted like rocket fuel at 40% alcohol again. Hard to swallow at 10 in the morning.
Next stop was the brick factories. These were amazing as each lot of bricks are fired taking about 2 1/2 months from clay brick to transporting for selling. Many women working here and many men sitting around drinking coffee.
Van took us into the Vinh Long local market as we wanted to buy some of the hammocks we had lazed about in yesterday and a couple if Vietnam flags.
Van was successful in locating both for us. So glad as it would have been very difficult for us to explain what we wanted. Now planning where to gang our hammocks when we get home.
From there it was a 1 1/2 hour trip to where we had lunch- huge feast again and then to the ???? Pagoda built in the 1800's with two huge Buddha statues. I mean massive statues. Poppy feeling the effects of new food so we exited from there and headed back to Ho Chi Minh City to the airport. Had to call past Buffalo Tours as they hadn't booked our train tickets we need for the 5th Jan (and it us now fully booked) so they had to work out something different. Spoke to the Branch Manager and we now are being taken by mini van with an overnight stop between Nha Trang and Hoi An. Will still arrive around the same time as the train. Great company to deal with and they were extremely sorry.
Van and our driver Mr Ho dropped us at the airport. Van had been terrific so funny and informative and had helped us in so many ways.
About a 30 minute flight to Nha Trang on the coast. Picked up by our guide Tom who spoke excellent English. Nha Trang so different to the frantic traffic of HCMC. Arrived at Asia Paradise Hotel at 9.45pm. Great spot one street back from the beach. Hotel looked great but we were given 3 rooms that smelt like smoke, Grandy and Poppy's air con didn't work (nor their basin tap). While the staff tried to fix the air con remained not working and after 4 trips to reception
we were very unhappy. Hotel was full so couldn't change rooms so had to just grin and bear it until morning. Finally into bed about 11.30pm.