A lovely morning greeted us as we left for a two-day cruise of the Mekong River Delta. We left most of our stuff behind in storage, taking only our small packs, and were ready for …well, whatever. The brochure had been very vague and Claudia and David had also been a bit vague, both of which left us slightly wary but off we went nonetheless.

Our bus ride from HCMC to Mytho was about an hour and half. When we arrived, we transferred onto a covered riverboat to begin our tour of the Mekong. Just to back up a moment, the two-day trip cost a whopping $18.00 Canadian which included bus, boat, lunch, guide, hotel, entrance fees, breakfast etc., so when the boat was a bit scary looking, we didn't complain. The seats were wooden and it looked a little worse for wear. We were a bit disappointed because it had a roof so the view was a little restrictive, but we were excited to be cruising along the Mekong. The banks on both sides were populated with riverside shanties, many of which looked as though they might slide into the brown, silt-filled Mekong at any moment. We saw the daily work of many people as they washed clothes and vegetables (often side-by-side), mended nets, swung in hammocks, tended gardens and played with their children.

The river widened and the debris in the water saddened us but upon closer inspection, we conceded that the majority of it was organic. Considering that the Mekong is the lifeblood of the delta area, it would be terrible if it was polluted. The river was noisy, as the boat engines were loud and smoky, but it was bustling and energetic.

Our first stop was at a honey farm where we learned about the Vietnamese bee, a small industrious creature. Barry held the honeycomb for a photo. We enjoyed some candy made from honey and some honey-lemon tea that was also very nice. While enjoying our tea, the boys got to play with a python. There were a few of these big snakes in pens, but the snakes all seemed pretty lively so we assumed they were being treated well.

From there, we walked down a path, passing many arts and crafts tables. We thought it was a little too touristy, but our tour guide didn't even let us stop so the pressure to buy was minimal. At the end of the path, a monkey bridge lent itself to a nice photo opportunity. We then sat with two Australian guys and had a great time sampling various fruits and listening to traditional folk songs.

From there, we loaded into boats for a trip down some fast water in a small canal. It was nice to get off the huge river and get a close up view of the jungle on each side. Unfortunately, there were so many other boats that Tessa likened it to a Disneyland ride, and the rowers of the boats we passed kept whispering to us to give our drivers a tip.

It was now time for lunch. This time, we sat with a woman from Germany, enjoying her company and a simple but filling noodle lunch.

After lunch, we were back on our bigger boat. We sped down the river and pulled up to a coconut candy factory where we saw how the candy is made and, of course, bought some!

The boat ride back to the dock was quick and we expected we would get to explore the town of Mytho, but that wasn't the plan. Instead, we travelled by bus for another two hours to Cantho City, famous for its floating markets.

When we got to a ferry crossing, we had to get off the bus and walk onto the ferry. It was here that Connor's bladder almost left him stranded. While he was in the restroom, the gates through to the boat had electronically begun to close. Luckily, Tessa and a number of other people on our tour yelled out, so the gate was held open for a few more seconds, and Connor ran through. Getting on and off the ferry was an exercise in self preservation as the people were given about a 10 second head start before all motorized vehicles converged. After we crossed, it was another hectic scramble to find our bus but we managed.

The hotel was just about the most plain, sparse place we've stayed. We ended up in a family room that was incredibly long and narrow with four beds and not much else.

However, the beds were clean that was good enough for us (we chose to ignore the mouse droppings on the floor).

A walk around town was in order. We found a lovely restaurant overlooking the busy night street, enjoyed dinner on the 2nd floor balcony, and shared impressions of the day. Back at the hotel, we watched a little more of Platoon, but we had a 6:00 am start the next day, so bedtime was early.