Vietnam:Day 2 Mekong Delta

Wednesday morning, we booked a full-day tour to the Mekong Delta area. Our tour guide, Dang, picked us up from our hostel around 8:30. He was great! He had a fun personality and was really into his job, which only added to tour. The drive to the Mekong Delta took about an hour and twenty minutes and we arrived to the dock around ten.

The Mekong Delta region consists of 4 major islands, Dragon, Tortoise, Phoenix and Unicorn Island. 

We sailed across the Mekong River from My Tho City to Ben Tre Province. We were dropped off at a coconut candy workplace, where Dang gave us a quick tour of how coconut candy is made.

Our tour guide, Dang, explaining and demonstrating how coconut candy is made.

A piece of coconut candy in rice paper

Then our group piled into three motorcars/motorbikes. I shared one with Kat and then a couple from Australia; we started our journey into the jungle in the Province. The motorbike was small and the road to the jungle was packed! I believe school just got out because we passed hundred of young teenagers on bikes, all wearing uniforms. And there weren’t too many cars, so it was basically just motorbikes on the road, leaving everybody to weave in and out of each other. When we got into the jungle, we were frequently ducking our heads because of the low branches. It was rather funny because Kat and I were facing forward, so we could see the road, but then the Australians were facing us so they weren’t sure when the branches were coming so we were always saying “duck!” It was quite funny.

Our motorbike

After a little while, the three bikes pulled over and we all got off and Dang gave us a quick tour of some local fruits. Within a ten-minute walk, we were able to see so many different fruits- we even saw cocoa growing!

We then proceeded to a coffee shop for a little snack. The coffee shop was in some lady’s yard and we were able to try various types of fruits. We were served pineapple, pomello, pear-apple, rambutan. Rambutan was delicious! To eat it, you basically peel the skin off, like an orange, and then eat the white jello like thing that’s inside. But inside the white jello substance is some nut, which you do not eat. There wasn’t much to eat once you peeled it, but it was so different and delicious! I think I am going to try and buy a few to eat before I head back to Hong Kong.

The red fruit in the top right is Rambutan. Below is what it looks like once peeled. 

Since the coffee shop was in a lady’s yard, we were also able to tour her house. Dang explained that only the men sleep in the house. Daughters are forced to sleep in the backyard!!! The kitchen is in a separate building, as is the bathroom.

The front room with a bed in the corner, where the grandparents would sleep. The table is for the men- the women are forced to eat outside. 

The inside kitchen.

The yard- the outside kitchen is in that house/hut.

Inside the outside kitchen

Coconut shells!

After the quick tour of the house, we were on our way to visit the ‘Snake Lady.’ But to get there, we took this little dirt road that was crazy. It was so bumpy, and the driver was going so fast down this small road. It was insane. And we survived!

We arrived at this small little tourist place- I think there was a restaurant there (we didn’t eat there but I’m pretty sure people were) as well as a gift shop, Happy House (bathroom!) and some snakes. Everybody was able to take a picture with a small python around his/her neck. Have I mentioned I’m not too fond of snakes now? The scaly skin is so weird. Hahaha.

We then walked down to a small river where we got into these small rowboats and road down to lunch. I was in a boat with the Australian couple again and they were nice enough to take a picture for me! The boat ride was great- made me miss rowing at home. I was amazed the oarlocks were only attached by string!

We were dropped off at a small dock where we got on a bigger boat, which took us to lunch. Lunch was at another part of the island. We were served elephant fish-wrapped in rice paper with lettuce and rice noodles. We also had spring rolls, some noodles type things and rice. All so delicious!

Before:

During:

After:

After lunch, we headed back to Saigon. We were dropped off by our hostel and just as we were getting off the bus, it started to rain. Everybody on motorbikes had their ponchos ready. I find it rather funny how different cultures react to rain- in Hong Kong, they rely on umbrellas, but here in Vietnam they rely on ponchos. I feel like in the States, we rely on a mixture of everything (probably because most people have cars and aren’t always outside like they are here in Asia).