Mekong Delta

Thursday, March 6th- Again we are up early, breakfast in the hotel and down to the lobby to board the buses. Today we are leaving Saigon and heading south to the Mekong Delta area. As we move into the more rural areas, the houses change from the 2 and 3 story buildings of the city to single story homes, some with verandas along the side. Newer homes stand side by side with poorer, older homes. Beautiful, tile floored homes next to dirt floor, bamboo huts. We also see new factories and textile mills. Companies in other countries are eager to do business in Vietnam, due to the low cost of producing goods.

We arrive at the Mekong River, where we board boats for our tour of the area. Life in the Delta revolves around the water. As we move away from shore, we have the opportunity to view the homes along the banks of the river.

Notice all the television antennas.

As we move farther along the river, the scenery becomes more rural, with lush vegetation and palm trees. We cross a wide expanse of the river and travel down a narrower channel. It is easy to imagine the brown water Navy in their PBR's (Patrol Boats, River) patroling these areas during the war. It is also easy to understand why this was such a dangerous area and why ambushes were common.

We are heading to a small cafe on the river bank. Here the local citizens have a "cottage industry" making rice snacks. These snacks are marketed in Saigon and to tourists in the Delta. Our boats pull up to the dock and we disembark for a tour of the kitchens- and a taste test!

The first thing we see is rice paper drying in the sun. Inside the building, a woman is expertly turning out sheets of rice paper, exactly the same size and shape. Through an interpreter, she tells us that she has been making rice paper since she was 16. For 50 years, she has refined her technique and, obviously, takes pride in the work that she does. We are offered a sample of the rice paper to taste. It has been toasted and has a crunchy, nutty flavor.

In the next room, we watched a man pop rice in a large iron skillet over an open fire. This process is similar to popping corn. Next the popped rice is placed in a pan and flavoring is spread over it. They are making "rice krispy treats".

Finally, the women package the treats for sale. The workers also make a candy that is similar to peanut brittle. After the tour, we are served green tea and samples of all the treats. For 2 U.S. dollars, we buy a large bag of treats to take with us. These treats will come in handy as we travel through Vietnam.

We leave the cafe behind and continue our trip along the Delta. We are now in the area of the "floating market". Vendors sell their produce and other products from their boats that are moored in the middle of the river.

Our guide buys coconuts for everyone. We continue our cruise with a cool drink of coconut milk.

As we head towards our lunch stop, we see many people along the river banks. A boy, in his school uniform, races us on his bike. A woman carries her day's work in her baskets. The baskets hang from a pole which she balances over her shoulders.

A family washes dishes in a pan on the veranda. Men work in the lumber yard. The wood will be used in the building of new houses.

We arrive at our lunch stop. Today we have lunch on the patio of a restaurant and botanical gardens. The first course is fish, which has been prepared in a special manner. We all enjoy the presentation before we enjoy the eating. We make our own spring rolls using rice paper, fish, cucumbers, herbs and nuoc mam sauce. Ed thinks it is delicious!

After lunch, we have time to stroll in the gardens. I love the bouganvillas that have been trimmed into bonzai trees. We will see these bouganvillas all through our trip. The foliage is very bright and colorful.

After lunch, we return to the buses for the trip back to Saigon. Later, we will have dinner outside under the stars. It feels good to sit outside in the cool night after the long, hot and sticky day on the Delta. Young women in native costumes play instruments and sing traditional songs. The moon rises in the evening sky and makes us think of loved ones, far away and long ago.