Having whizzed through Ho Chi Minh City we were keen to get to the Mekong Delta to experience a bit of rural Vietnam. Tours run from HCMC to the delta on a regular basis but we wanted to travel independently and so decided to take the bus to Vinh Long, a smaller town. We had played with the idea of staying in a homestay but wanted to get there first and then decide.
By chance, or more like good business sense, we were approached by a Mr Nam as soon as we got off the bus. Funnily we had read about him online. He spoke very good English and told us all about his homestay on the nearby river island, An Binh, and even showed us photos. Despite it obviously being a complete tourist trap, we decided to spend a night. The quickest way to get to the riverfront was by moto (moped) and so we finally got to experience traffic from the other side. It was fun, if somewhat scary, seeing that the drivers were holding our big packs between their legs and we were towering above them at the back trying not to unbalance the bike.
After a noodle lunch at the local market we were taken across the swirling waters of the river by a relation of Mr Nam - everyone seemed to be related to Mr Nam. As we had expected (having read this beforehand), the homestay was purpose-built for tourists and the family didn't actually live on the grounds. However, it was a lovely experience nonetheless. We spent the afternoon enjoying a hammock siesta and when it got a bit cooler, went for a cycle around the island. Children would run out of every house we passed and shout 'hello'. When we got back the family had started cooking for us and Chris and I were allowed to 'help' a little (this involved adding spinach to a pan and deep frying some spring rolls. There were six of us in total staying at the homestay and we spent an enjoyable evening. The food was delicious with fresh spring rolls, fried pork and elephant fish (caught locally). We hadn't seen Mr Nam since he had recruited us but he joined us for a desert which his mother had cooked for a Buddhist full moon festival. After mentioning our plans of moving on to Can Tho the following day, he indicated that his brother-in-law had a homestay there and could also offer us a tour of the floating market. We declined the homestay as we had already sorted out accommodation but happily agreed to the tour. The next day, after another exciting moto ride (this time I had my big pack on the back which is definitely not advisable) to the bus station we caught the 'Express' bus to Can Tho.
Our hotel was again of typical Vietnamese architecture ie a very narrow front but extending up and back a surprisingly long way. The room was small but perfectly formed, though had we been any taller sleeping in the bed would have been a problem. After a walk along the riverfront and some foraging in the surrounding streets, our dinner turned out to be omlette (chosen at random from an all Vietnamese menu).
The following morning as agreed with Mr Nam, we waited for our tour to start outside our hotel at 05:30. We waited and waited but no sign of the moto drivers who were meant to pick us up. Finally Chris managed to get hold of Mr Nam and after a number of strange conversations, we were eventually picked up. The ride through morning rush hour was faster than expected but when we suddenly turned into a series of narrow alleyways my heart started to beat a little faster. To my relief we were only being taken to the river bank where the boat would pick us up. As we waited by the river, two women washed their dishes in the fairly polluted looking water. After more waiting, our boat arrived. It was a small longboat which could be both rowed and put under motor. The captain was a wonderfully friendly lady who took as out to the floating market. There weren't quite as many boats as I had anticipated but there was a definite market atmosphere. All the sellers had their specific fruit or vegetable produce 'advertised' dangling from a pole on the front of the boat. When things started to quieten down at the market we travelled upstream to a small rice paper factory to watch the making and drying of rice paper sheets. The working conditions for some of the workers seemed very uncomfortable: making thousands of rice paper sheets in hot, steamy and smoky conditions. This was followed by a visit to a plant nursery where seedlings were meticulously planted by hand into little palm leaf pots. Perhaps the best part of the tour was when our captain took us through some the quiet backchannels of the Mekong, deftly making us palm-leaf crickets and flowers as we went.
Sadly, that was our last day in Vietnam. Looking for somewhere to celebrate our time there, on a recommendation, we headed down to 'Duck Hot Pot Alley'. There was only one thing on the menu, Duck Hot Pot. Sitting among mainly Vietnamese diners we were provided with our own pot filled with broth and duck pieces. This was then heated on a gas stove on the table and we could add vegetables, tofu, noodles ect. It was a delicious meal but despite our best efforts we couldn't finish everything. With full stomachs and a little sad we headed back to the hotel to prepare for our early start. The following day would bring a new country as we went across the border into Cambodia.