Ho Chi Minh City to Mekong Delta - 14th July 2009

We had to get up around 5.30am, unfortunatly we'd only gone to bed sometime after midnight, and I woke during the night at 2.30am, so had bags under my eyes!
We went downstairs, and Anja had requested could we have a breakfast slightly earlier than the norm, and the lazy receptionist (male) was a bit grumpy but had agreed, eventually. They only managed to give us a bagette, and not even offer us a drink, so I asked for one, which took it's time in coming but was worth waiting for.
We didn't have to walk far to get to the office where our mini-bus was to leave from which was handy. There was a guy outside wandering up and down using an automatic bubble blowing machine, he only had four on him, which didn't seem like much of a walking shop!
We set off, it was a short ride to where our boat would leave from, and we were transferred to a fast boat. It was fairly comfortable, especially as after we passed the police station, we were able to sit at the back and have the breeze blow through our hair. It was so comfortable in fact, that yet again, my knees burnt; making me look rather odd. I was taking quite a few photos at first; mainly of the greenary at the side, the twigs and greenary floating down the river, various other river boats that were going down the river as well as all the stilt houses that lived alongside the bank.
There was a french man, a lone traveller, who had an enormous camera with him, he looked like a traveller, with a rough beard, the sort you would maybe see in Blood Diamond, or Hotel Rwanda. There was also a camp looking man, always wearing a pink shirt or a baby blue one, and his haircut looked a bit curious; quite a few people seemed surprised that he was married.
I was surprised that I didn't feel sick on the boat, and I was very thankful for it. Every so often, our boat would slow down, maybe to cool off the engine, as occasionally there would be smoke coming out the back which looked very polluted. On one of these occasions, we got rather a big shock. An enormous boat was gaining on us, and must have been less than 20 metres away from us, and there we were, right in front of it, stopped still. I froze, never being any good at these life or death moments. I considered jumping in the water and swimming for my life, and I'm sure I would have, had a few more seconds passed. The people inside the boat were oblivious to this threat, until the rather worried french couple rushed inside the boat and at first I thought they were just trying to get as far away from the threat as possible, but they must have somehow got the driver to turn around, and our skins were saved, as the boat pulled away again!
They really don't have any sense of health and safety over here, not even mirrors to look behind! The big boat had no way of seeing us also, as it was so close to us!
We continued on our way, passing many boats that looked like they were near to sinking; mainly the smaller rowing boats, which looked like a lot of effort to row. Especially as they pushed to do the rowing, rather than pulling. There were various people using cups and bowls and other utensils to get some of the water out of their little boats.
Apparently the Mekong Delta area is home to 20 million people, but on the islands and in the rural areas they are mostly farmers, so the areas look really uninhabited, due to the houses being in the middle of their farms, so they are surrounded by all of their crops etc. Some of the islands (we went around four), had fish farms all around them, so weren't really visited by tourists. The four islands we visited were each named after the sacred animals; the turtle etc.
During the morning, we stopped at a few places, the first of which was selling honey, rice wine, snake wine, banana wine, and various other snacks and souvenirs. We were given a tea, made with the usual green tea, honey, and lemon juice, which was delightful, as well as a plate full of treats like peanut slab, some kind of winter-melon sweet and caramelised banana. After tasting such pleasures, we moved on to something less delightful; the alcohol! For a 10am stop, it was rather early to be drinking, but it had to be done! Whilst some downed it as if they were on a night out, and others slowly swigged it down, I carefully took a teaspoonful and licked it, just to get the taste (of the banana wine and the rice wine). Although the banana wine tasted like something that it might be possible to either mix with something, or, if desperate for a high, down in one; the rice wine (which was 40% alcohol at least) tasted worse than vodka, and was rather detestable!
On going to the toilet there, I passed a cage with a python in it! I felt rather terrified, especially as it looked less sturdy than a rabbit hutch. On top of the cage, was some tubes of 'python fat' for sale; used for random ailments. Someone showed me a picture they had takens moments before, of the snake making an attack; with it's jaw wide open as it tried to scare away the camera. It made me rather on edge, and as I crept slowly to the toilet, I kept an eye out for any snakes!
Next stop, was to a cafe where we were given samples of various types of locally grown fruit, whilst being entertained by some of the local traditional music. It was one of the worst examples of local entertainment yet, especially compared to those in Hoi An. The instrumentalists weren't playing together, and the 'strangling a cat' violin crossed with a guitar instrument was just awful! The singers were good however, especially the really cute little girls who kept looking at each other and smiling as they sung!
The fruit was really good too, and I tried one that I hadn't tried before, which had been taken out of a fruit that looked like a durian, but tasted lovely sweet and had a nice texture. I was also re-educated by learning that the fruit I thought was a different kind of lychee, was actually a d??? (can't remember!)
Torrential rain had started by this point, and so after buying a rather useless poncho, we continued on our way. Anja looked rather dashing in her bright orange poncho and umbrella!
We boarded a small rowing boat, one of the traditional ones with a little old lady using a stick to push us along. We were given the traditional hats to wear as it was raining, and for a photo opportunity! The river was very dirty looking, and the land surrounding the river looked very lush and green, a very beautiful area. As we went by, fellow rowers who were passing us in the other direction kept on saying something that resembled 'morning', however a few 'morning' greetings later, we realised that they were actually saying 'money' and giving a hint that we should tip our drivers. Out of protest for their rudeness, we didn't, and hoped that our tour guide had actually paid for this part of the trip.
After visiting these islands, we were put on a minibus and driver for a while. During which time, my heavy bag that was over my head which I had thought I had wedged in pretty well, decided to fall on my head, and also knock a fellow passenger on the arm, to which I received grumpy looks. I kind of wanted to thump the girl as it was obviously not my fault that we'd gone over so many bumps in the road that my bag had unwedged itself.
We then had to get off the bus, so we could get onto a ferry to take us across the river. We had a short while to wait, in which time we sat down on some plastic chairs, one of which made a suspicious cracking sound when I sat down, whoops, so I swiftly moved to a less broken seat! Motorbikes were lining up and getting ready to get onto the ferry. When it was time to go, our tour guide said, let's go! To which I turned around to check that Anja was near, and he hurried us on even faster, like shoeing sheep into a pen. It was good of him to hurry us so, as we had barely made it on, when it set off! Leaving a mixed race couple; one from the Phillipines, and husband from the US, to have to jump over the gap that was now being formed between land and ferry, to make it safely on the ferry!! Considering how late and lacidaisical bus and other such services usually are, I was surprised at how prompt this ferry was being!! It felt a bit like the scene from War of the Worlds where the huge horns are blowing from the ever approaching aliens! and everyone running and jumping to try to get onto the ferry! thankfully no one missed and landed in the water! Funnily enough, the ferry was making a similar sound! Once on the ferry, we were allowed to reboard the minibus, which seemed kind of silly.
After driving further, we arrived fairly late, around 7pm, at our hotel. It looked like it was down a backstreet, and after inspecting the list for breakfast, we headed off in search of food and somewhere nicer for breakfast.
Anja had been looking out the window when we had been in the minibus, as we passed stalls selling barbequed meat before we had got on the ferry! We convenietly passed such a stall that was one meal away from closing for the night, so Anja bought it, and we sat on a park bench so Anja could eat her soup and rice and meat. The locals found it amusing that Anja was taking photos of the food, the little plastic bag that they'd put the take-away soup in, and the 'eating-in-action' shots of Anja enjoying the food! They must have thought we were completely bonkers!
We continued on, to find somewhere for me to eat, and on our way we found a really nice hotel that was doing a buffet breakfast for 50,000 dong, ($2.5!) Then we found a very friendly restaurant that sold tofu burgers and some delicious fruit juices. I can't remember what we did that was so strange, but the young waitresses in the cafe, who were very happy-go-lucky people, found us amusing! The burger was amazing, and it was a really enjoyable meal. We also conviently managed to find a cake shop on the way home!