Mighty Mekong

Friday October 13, 2006

In typical Vina style - we were waiting to get picked up at 7am - but waited until 7.30 where we were driven around the block picking up others until 8 and then al offloaded back at the starting point onto a bigger bus. No shock to me at this, so went with the flow.

The bus trip to the Mekong was quite long, but full of a couple of stop-offs to stretch the legs. We stopped as this gorgeous cafe-shop, and we sipped iced tea while watching big bumble bees buzzing around.


Then before we knew it - we were on a boat travelling along the amazing Mekong!




There are quite large islands in the different areas of the river. We were taken to Unicorn island first - where we stopped off at a coconut candy making area.



SWEET COCONUT: How to make coconut candy.
Step 1: get the milk
Step 2: heat the milk and add sugar
Step 3: lay the warm, sticky candy out in strips
Step 4: cut the candy
Step 5: wrap the candy

It was then onto a "bee farm" - actually only one box of bees and honey comb - but nonethless got to sample their wares incuding delicious honey and bee pollen tea. There was also a big, fat python there - and I held it around my neck and its head moved around and it "kissed" my arm. Mel held it too. It was quite odd feeling its big body move around my neck.




We continued walking through the island and stopped off at another place to have fruit and tea where we were entertained by the restaurant workers playing traditional Mekong music.



To get to the big boat, we were led through to a canal at the back of the restaurant where we were ferried on row boats to the edge of the island. That was lots of fun. It was amazing how many boats were going through the small canal. We also got to wear traditional conical hats - very vina.




Back onto the big boat, it was off to Tortoise island for lunch. It was quite a pretty area. Lunch was included but they brought out this cooked fish skewered upright - a mekong specialty dish. We didn't indulge but a group of Japanese at the next table did - made fresh spring rolls with it.

Mel and I got on some bikes and cruised around for half an hour. I couldn't believe how big the island was. We were tucked away in lovely sprawling restaurant grounds when we had lunch, then before we knew it we were in the thick of a busy village with rumbling trucks, cars and motorbikes passing us by. The bikes were really rickety as well - dodgy, but still moved so "khong sao" (no problem).




We got a fast boat along the Mekong all the way back into the heart of Saigon. That was an educational trip and a half. I cannot tell you how many amazing sights we saw - but most shocking of all were the shanty houses on the water just before you hit the CBD.






I've never seen anything like it in my life. Crumbling rooms of collected wood, tin and plastic stakcked up against one another overlooking the polluted "sewers of Saigon" - the closer we got to the city, the more the muddy mekong turned from yellow-brown to putrid polluted grey, and the more it stunk. That's the "real Saigon" - the type you only see if you step outside the tourist districts.



An incredible, action packed day. Very, very tired and content tonight.