This is where I'm sitting right now and writing!! Sorry!!!
Last week we headed for a day tour of the Mekong Delta:
We left Saigon and headed south:
The Mekong Delta comprises a large portion of
south- western Vietnam and is where the Mekong
River and its tributaries, discharge into the South
China Sea. The land in the Delta is highly fertile and
is used mainly for agriculture. Fishing is also very
important in this area.
Our tour was led by the very personable and highly
enthusiastic Tham:
By the end of the day, we were doing karaoke together!
Lotus pads growing in the ponds at the rest stop.
The drive down from Saigon took about two hours. We
passed rice paddies......
pIneapple plantations, orchards and small hamlets.
I was interested to find out what these were, many
of them were located alongside the rice paddies:
and in the front yard of homes:
Our guide told us that the Vietnamese custom is to bury
family members on their home property, what a great idea!
This large tomb obviously belonged to a V.I.P.
On arrival at My Tho we boarded a motor boat and headed
to Dragon Island, Unicorn Island, Phoenix and Turtle Island:
We stopped off at the honey farm and handled live bees!
Enjoyed honey tea carefully prepared for us by this
lovely lady:
Held a real live Python:
Remember: "Nothing is to be feared but fear itself!"
I was surprised by how heavy it was!
Walked by the local market stalls.......
Coconut shell knick-knacks.....
And this exotic alcoholic beverage containing a scorpion
and a baby cobra! Drinks anyone?
We passed by fruit stands:
Durian, mango and so many exotic fruits, I can't remember
what they're called!l
Rambutan and longan fruits....
We enjoyed a fruit plate of papaya, pineapple, watermelon,
longan and rambutan.
Five dishes are served, as per Vietnamese custom, to
denote birth, coming of age, mid-life, death and rebirth.
The fruit is dipped into chilli and salt to balance ying
and yang.
The inside of a rambutan- a little bit disappointing and tasteless-
like gelatinous goo- but said to be full of anti-oxidants, anti- aging
compounds and is supposed to do miraculous things for
one's sex life! Bring it on!!
We listened to traditional southern Vietnamese music......
Performed by these lovely ladies dressed in traditional
Vietnamese dresses - the Ao Dai.
We listened to stories narrated by our guide, Tham
Walked by fruit trees......
Cockerels bred for fighting:
We boarded row boats:
And went for a ride along the canals of the Mekong.....
The water is brown due to all the silt deposits.....
The guide pointed out his home along the
banks of the canal:
We sampled some rice wine:
Stopped off at a coconut candy factory....
Enjoyed a traditional Vietnamese lunch:
I've never seen shrimp this big!! They were delish!
We walked past exotic plants.....
And headed back to our boat where we were treated
to coconut milk- an acquired taste!
Our travel partners included a Scottish nurse, a Croatian
GP and her sports medicine husband, and a young couple
from Finland ( the ones at the back) who were quite aloof
and didn't mix.
And of course, our great tour guide, Tham:
En route to our hotel, we stopped off at the Vinh Trang
Pagoda:
The largest and most well- known pagoda in the region..
A ceremony was taking place.....
The couple were holding incense sticks to their foreheads
and the Buddhist monk was striking a bell....
And outside, the biggest statue of Buddha that I've ever seen!
Back in Saigon, it was rush hour.....
and manic driving again!!!
Talk soon
Zoe
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