Mekong Delta

Drenched in sweat from the high heat and humidity, I left the park to get ready to go to our day on Mekong Delta. About two hours from our hotel, we boarded boats and cruised up and down the river. We stopped at an island (Dragon Island?) and had the wonderful opportunity to interact closely with the rural people living there.
Of course, tourism helps to support them and part of that involves candy making with the locally grown coconuts. It was a fascinating process to watch as the coconut was peeled, shredded, boiled to a paste over a fire then cooled into a taffy-like candy. We commenced with a half mile walk on the island during which time we stopped at a beekeeper’s place for honey tea and the exciting experience of draping a python around our necks. Oh, yes.
The homes on the island were very simple, usually one room. The walls and roof were thatched coconut palm leaves, the floor was dirt. There were a few more modern style homes, but just a very few. Most of the homes have an outdoor cooking pit, free roaming animals and are completely open to the weather. Even with this level of simplicity, homemakers sweep the dirt, grow beautiful flowers and trees and keep their homes hospitable. I had the pleasure to meet a sweet woman who told me she had seven children. She was surprised when I showed her pictures of my children and let her know we had something in common in our large families! Her home was very simple and about the same size as the hotel room I am sitting in at this moment. It reminded me that one can always live with less and thrive.
Hammocks are commonplace here. On our trip down to the river, we saw outdoor restaurants with hammocks all around the borders of the shop. Our guide told us these are ‘coffee and hammock’ shops where travelers can stop for coffee and a nap. What a great idea! Yet another element of Vietnamese culture I would be more than willing to adopt!
Our visit to Dragon Island ended with a sampan ride off the island. It was quite an experience. Many of us recalled our soldiers and their duty to slog through the rainy wetlands with the dense tropical growth. We boarded our larger boats and returned to the mainland and then to the hotel.
A group of us returned to Ben Thahn market where I bought even more stuff. Then, I really wanted to strike out on my own and explore the city. Not a particularly wise move, I admit. Never theless…I walked just a bit away from the market in search of an internet café. Happily, I have discovered that if you get brave and starting talking to enough people, eventually you will find some kind soul who speaks English. I strategically looked for teenagers to tell me where I could get some free wi-fi. It worked! A sweet young lady who was setting up her booth to sell in the night market confided in me that if I bought a coffee at a shop across from her booth, I’d be in range for wi-fi from a nearby business. “I do it every night!” she whispered conspiratorily. Now, maybe she was being clever, but in any case, I enjoyed the coffee tremendously (thick, sweet milk in the bottom of a slender glass with strong, strong coffee poured on top as a second layer) and was happy to check in with the world.
When I returned to the hotel (after risking my life crossing the road!!), I joined several of the team in the lounge. I wasn’t too hungry but decided to order Pho, a national dish of noodles, broth and chicken or beef in honor of my sister, Alicia. I was not a little surprised to see the waitress coming toward me carrying a mixing bowl full of soup! It was delicious and I enjoyed it very much.
There was a band playing oldies from the 60s and 70s …really loud! Our pathetic efforts to understand each other’s conversation kept us in stitches as we commiserated with our communication disordered clients in that moment! Hours of laughter later, here I sit journaling the day with my eyes crossing from fatigue. Tomorrow we head to Siem Reap, Cambodia.