Highlights of Vietnam and Cambodia

Day Nine – 25 January 2015

Weather: Hot with some humidity but a breeze so it’s not oppressive. Doesn’t feel like 32.

Another nice breakfast with a view of the scooters below. It’s dizzying to watch the thousands of scooters flying by below.

We’re off by 8 and Thom gives us a short look at Ben Thanh market which is within walking distance of the hotel for a later visit.

It has a selection of tourist and local goods with a food section that has a bit of everything, including the WTF is that.

We follow Thom around, ignoring the calls from the stall owners and one vendor tells Thom that he has trained us well. She said we were all cold as ice.

Yup. And we can cross the road like locals now, too.

We get aboard again and head towards the Mekong Delta. Thom reminded us to take insect repellent because the local flies love western food.

Heh. No worries about malaria here but dengue is a concern in some areas. (And yes, malaria is not a concern. We had some taking anti-malaria meds but it wasn’t necessary in Vietnam or in Ankor Wat in the prime tourist areas. And I am a firm believer that one not to take anti-malaria meds if it’s not necessary).

I wasn’t sure what to expect at the Mekong Delta as the Trip Advisor reviews were not very favourable saying that they were constantly assaulted by vendors and the area was essentially a tourist trap.

Not with this tour. Apparently, the day trips all go to that area but that TT has us going a little farther away and we didn’t see anything touristy.

He did say there used to be crocodiles in the delta. Not anymore.

Whew!

The Mekong River starts in Tibet and winds its way through Myramar and forms part of the border between Laos and Thailand. It divides into multiple rivers along the way. The area we are going to is My Tho which is considered the coconut province and produces the most coconut in the country. He said there are 25 different types of coconut in the area and that it’s used for candy, oil, liquor, sunblock and fiber for mats etc. It only takes 3-5 years for a coconut plant to produce.

We all got a coconut to drink on the boat.

In the upper river, rice is the number one product while in the lower delta, it’s coconut, seafood and exotic fruits. It also has 10 different types of bananas.

Who knew?

The baby ones were cute. Slightly different texture and sweeter.

We arrive in My Tho and are transferred to tut-tuts with six to a vehicle. We are given the farmer hats and take a 15 minute ride to our boat.

We get a short safety briefing and are reminded that there are no crocodiles in the water. We go down a narrow river and out into Mekong River where we are treated to a selection of fruit and a drink.

The boat has cushioned seats and in the warm breeze, it’s probably one of the nicest river boat cruises I’ve had. And I haven’t seen a single vendor.

We asked about the eyes on the front of all the boats on the river and Thom tells us that when there were crocodiles, the locals had problems with attacks, so someone decided that it would fear some thing with bigger eyes and put them on the front of the hull. The crocodile attacks stopped and the tradition remains despite the lack of crocodiles.

We stop on the far shore and are led to a brick making factory where we get a quick tour. They take the clay from the river, mold it and put it in the oven to dry. Twenty bricks cost about a dollar and five thousand dollars can build a house.

Next stop is a noodle factory. It’s a rudimentary process in an open building. The rice is soaked into a paste and then dried and flattened into large sheets that are dried on bamboo racks. Then the sheet is cut into noodles. Thom buys two 5 kg bags for $4 each. He said his wife will pick it up at the hotel in the morning.

From here we walk through the forested village to a rowboat. Here is where being fit comes into play because the ladder to the rowboat is pretty basic. Sturdy, but takes coordination to climb down. It’s six to a boat and I’d have video except one woman wouldn’t stop complaining behind me. Gorgeous row down a narrow river and all I hear is whining. Sigh.

The guide reminds us once again that there are no crocodiles in the water but that there may be snakes above that might fall into the boat.

Un huh.

Then he tells us how to survive an attack by a boa constrictor.

And I need to know this why?

He said that if one starts to wrap around, just raise your hands above your head and get a hold of the tail and break it. The constrictor will release you.

And I need to know this why? Heh.

We row back to the first boat and get aboard for the short trip to our lunch stop at the Mango House. It’s an outdoor lunch under a thatched roof. Gorgeous.

The fish lovers get a fish something like bass.

We finish up and then take a short walk to a local village. The local guide points out that coconut trees are being cut down and replaced by pomelo. We take a short cut that they can’t take in the wet season and stop at a house in the forest where we meet a Cambodian War veteran.

He comes out in his uniform and says hello. He was an artillery officer and now lives here and makes rice paper. He collects a pension from the government for his service as well.

His wife gave us a demonstration on making rice paper. The rice mix is poured onto a clothe over the fire and then spreads it out quickly. It dries in a matter of seconds and with a flat tool, it’s pulled up and laid on a bamboo rack. Ever wonder why your rice paper has a funny pattern in it? Yup. Bamboo.

It’s left to dry before being stacked and sold.

We sat down for some rice chips and a drink while the veteran answered some questions.

When we were done, we said farewell and walked back to the boat for the ride down the river to our bus which was waiting at a different spot. It was about a 90 minute drive back to Saigon. Or a 90 minute photo-fest of passing scooters….including one carrying a flat screen TV.