The Mekong Delta

And So it begins...

We set off towards the Mekong Delta, excited about more time on a boat, and (perhaps with hindsight, foolishly) were expecting another experience comparable to the extremely high bar set at Halong Bay! All was going well, we survived the white-knuckle and lengthy bus journey to the harbour where we were loaded onto a great-looking boat and show to our cabin. The cabin was small but comfortable with a fantastic bathroom - especially considering we were on a boat!

Having dumped our bags off, we headed up onto the deck for our first on-board meal outside. By the end of the meal, it was drizzling slightly, and within minutes, there was torrential rain! We had seen rain in Hoi An and Danang but nothing like this. The pea-sized raindrops would thump into the awning covering the outside deck. I actually find weather like this rather exciting at times and this was one of those times. It was warm and we were able to stay dry but observe the storm from relative comfort. However, on heading back to our room, there was a leak in the ceiling of your cabin, dripping directly onto my pillow - or it had become my pillow once Sarah knew about the leak!

This was fixed with a little bit of persuasion as we weren’t keen on the alternative of changing boats and heading back the way we’d come with another boat following the reverse of our tour. The repair held.

As part of the tour, we disembarked at one point and were shown to a small house in the trees where we were given a number of local foods to try. The house was lived in but the family was extremely accommodating and only too willing to explain what we had in front of us (via our guide and translator). some of the food both looked and tasted tremendous, some looked bloody awful but tasted marvellous and a couple of particularly sneaky ones which looked marvellous but tasted bloody awful - there were a number of these last ones left when we thanked the host and left for the return to the boat in absolute darkness.

Day 2

I was up early, hoping for a good sunrise after such a night of rain but sadly was left wanting. It was however, a good opportunity for a bit of time to watch the Mekong’s early risers go about their daily tasks. There were some of the unusual forwards-motion rowing boats crossing the river and many larger boats and barges making their way either up or down the waterways, many carrying produce for the floating market we were heading to, at which point we would move onto a smaller boat and be driven around the mass of boats and barges that make up the market.

On dry land

Having been round the market, we all headed for the shore where - predictably, there were a set of stalls set up to encourage us to buy souvenirs but there was also a working kitchen where puffed rice-cakes were being made, along with very thin rice pancakes for spring rolls among other things.

The Mekong was a fascinating place and struck me as a hard place to make a living. The tourism obviously helps and people would buy small items from the stalls but it seems their main income (from what we saw) is from the trading of fruit and vegetables to one another and the local small restaurants that catered to both the locals and tourists alike.

Despite having a damp start, the two days on the Mekong were both relaxing and informative. While not the ‘best’ part of the trip, it was definitely something I’d aim to do again, only hoping for better weather!