Thursday 26 September. (Will try and add some better photos later but as we took cameras with us rather than phones its not so easy to transfer across).
7.30 start to the day with breakfast at KOTO (Know One Teach One) where disadvantaged youth are taught cooking skills as a way of leading them toward meaningful employment. Despite being told this would be very basic “fruit and bread” we were served a range of breakfast food (including the totally delicious croissants we have come to expect over here) and it such a great programme. We then headed approximately two hours by bus to the Mekong Delta (stopping at the “Rest Stop and Farming Resort” ??? for an ice-cream). At Cai be we transferred to a water taxi which took us across the Mekong to one of the canal systems where we transferred to small boats to quietly glide around the small waterways (being rowed by generally slight built Vietnamese ladies).
We then transferred back to our main boat and went back across the river for lunch (which included a whole cooked elephant ear fish that you broke apart to make fresh spring rolls) and on our way to the next destination (a rice-paper and sweet family industry) we had a spontaneous invite from a group of fishermen working at a cat fish farm to come over and see what they were doing. Our guide was thrilled as she said they have never been asked to do that before. Our water taxi driver was even more excited as he was given a free fish! It was amazing watching them catch and load basket after basket of cat fish (each basket weighing between 100 - 120 kg of fish) and we probably watched them load at least 3,000 kg of fish in the short time we were there.
Next was the rice paper/puffed wheat sweet producers which was fascinating (they used old bomb shells to roll our the sweet mixture) but was also a bit disturbing as they had two rather large pythons in cages (although the owner said they were only small yet). Needless to say I (G) came no closer than necessary to take a “semi distant photo”. We then went back across the river to an orchard where we got to sample of range of fruits (e.g. jackfruit, guava, mango). Back across the river yet again to our home stay for the night where we made to feel very welcome. Our accommodation was much better than we expected and they did have wifi. We had an outdoor bathroom attached to our bedroom which was actually really nice (and we didn’t even mind that it was only cold water as we were having yet another hot humid day in the early 30s. We helped prepare a couple of the dishes for dinner and after eating we were treated to a short show by a group of performers who played a range of instruments and sang.
Bed was a welcome end to the day but it was certainly at the firm end of chiropractic mattresses being placed on top of a solid wooden base.
Friday 27 September
Again away by 7.30 am and off to see the floating markets (which our local guide informed us were getting smaller each year as many people now chose the convenience of the supermarket). You could tell what each boat owner was selling by what was attached to the pole at the front of the boat.
We then continued on to a small fish-sauce and black bean production house. Don’t think anyone was keen to hang around that one any longer than they had to as the smell was not amazing! Back to Cai be to the bus and then approximately 3 hours to the Cu Chi tunnels. By the time we got there it was already 33+ degrees which made our walk around the jungle area quite warm! It was really fascinating though and David went through the 20 metre tunnel but I opted to stay above ground.
We then had 2 hours back to Ho Chi Min City, quick tidy up, and then out for a dinner cruise on the Saigon River. There are over 8 million motorbikes and scooters in this city and as we came in during peak hour it seemed most of them were on the road at once!
Quite a busy couple of days but lots of different things covered!
7.30 start to the day with breakfast at KOTO (Know One Teach One) where disadvantaged youth are taught cooking skills as a way of leading them toward meaningful employment. Despite being told this would be very basic “fruit and bread” we were served a range of breakfast food (including the totally delicious croissants we have come to expect over here) and it such a great programme. We then headed approximately two hours by bus to the Mekong Delta (stopping at the “Rest Stop and Farming Resort” ??? for an ice-cream). At Cai be we transferred to a water taxi which took us across the Mekong to one of the canal systems where we transferred to small boats to quietly glide around the small waterways (being rowed by generally slight built Vietnamese ladies).
We then transferred back to our main boat and went back across the river for lunch (which included a whole cooked elephant ear fish that you broke apart to make fresh spring rolls) and on our way to the next destination (a rice-paper and sweet family industry) we had a spontaneous invite from a group of fishermen working at a cat fish farm to come over and see what they were doing. Our guide was thrilled as she said they have never been asked to do that before. Our water taxi driver was even more excited as he was given a free fish! It was amazing watching them catch and load basket after basket of cat fish (each basket weighing between 100 - 120 kg of fish) and we probably watched them load at least 3,000 kg of fish in the short time we were there.
Next was the rice paper/puffed wheat sweet producers which was fascinating (they used old bomb shells to roll our the sweet mixture) but was also a bit disturbing as they had two rather large pythons in cages (although the owner said they were only small yet). Needless to say I (G) came no closer than necessary to take a “semi distant photo”. We then went back across the river to an orchard where we got to sample of range of fruits (e.g. jackfruit, guava, mango). Back across the river yet again to our home stay for the night where we made to feel very welcome. Our accommodation was much better than we expected and they did have wifi. We had an outdoor bathroom attached to our bedroom which was actually really nice (and we didn’t even mind that it was only cold water as we were having yet another hot humid day in the early 30s. We helped prepare a couple of the dishes for dinner and after eating we were treated to a short show by a group of performers who played a range of instruments and sang.
Bed was a welcome end to the day but it was certainly at the firm end of chiropractic mattresses being placed on top of a solid wooden base.
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| Our Homestay |
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Friday 27 September
Again away by 7.30 am and off to see the floating markets (which our local guide informed us were getting smaller each year as many people now chose the convenience of the supermarket). You could tell what each boat owner was selling by what was attached to the pole at the front of the boat.
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| “Two” showing us the Floating Market |
We then continued on to a small fish-sauce and black bean production house. Don’t think anyone was keen to hang around that one any longer than they had to as the smell was not amazing! Back to Cai be to the bus and then approximately 3 hours to the Cu Chi tunnels. By the time we got there it was already 33+ degrees which made our walk around the jungle area quite warm! It was really fascinating though and David went through the 20 metre tunnel but I opted to stay above ground.
We then had 2 hours back to Ho Chi Min City, quick tidy up, and then out for a dinner cruise on the Saigon River. There are over 8 million motorbikes and scooters in this city and as we came in during peak hour it seemed most of them were on the road at once!
Quite a busy couple of days but lots of different things covered!
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