The Mekong Tour 09/07/2011- 10/07/2011

Mr. Lin came to pick us up at 8am on Saturday. We took a taxi to the dock at the river and boarded the boat that would take us to a few islands along the Mekong. Our guide was a cheeky fellow. He was a bit of a comedian, a magician and a singer. The islands were very nice. We walked through jungles filled with stalls that sold hand crafted bamboo trinkets. Some of the items were beautiful and I wished I brought enough money with me to purchase more. One of the islands was known for its honey and we had a drink that consisted of delicious honey straight from the beehive, bee pollen, tea and lime. It was quite delicious. Then we got to hold a snake. That was quite interesting for all of us. The snake liked to turn its head toward ours. That was the point when everyone would freak out.

We continued on to the next island where the “coconut monk” lived. After the Vietnam war, he built a gorgeous temple on this island with lovely gardens and crocodiles. He isn’t with us anymore but on a wall covered with pictures and facts about him I took a liking to one particular photo. Under it read the caption: The coconut monk used to make mice and cats play together to prove that it is possible for enemies to settle their differences. We fed the crocodiles and climbed over log bridges. Then we relaxed and I sipped on a coconut. Then we were off to another island.

At this island we got on a smaller row boat. A Vietnamese woman wearing a rice hat was rowing in the back. We went through a small canal, covered by jungle plants. It was so surreal. I felt like I was walking into a dream or a travel documentary. I was in the boat with the boys and we were all wearing rice hats. We all agreed that yes we were truly in Vietnam now. I couldn’t stop imagining soldiers running through the canals during the war. Many died during the war in the Mekong river region. I shuddered at the thought and kept enjoying the beauty instead.

Eventually the boat stopped and we got off at a little restaurant and ate fresh fruit. Then we went to a coconut candy factory and that coconut candy was so delicious, especially because it was still warm. Then we had an amazing lunch which consisted of giant prawns, spring rolls, rice rolls with mint and other fresh greens and Elephant Ear fish. It was quite delicious. The boys went to watch a snake being killed and drank its blood and ate its heart while it was still beating. This was a gross tradition that I didn’t want to have any part in trying. After, Mr. Lin suggested that we should all nap on the hammocks that were hanging around the area. It was the greatest idea I ever heard. I chose a hammock over by a stream. It was so green and peaceful and I fell into a deep sleep. I was eventually awakened by the others and it was time to continue our journey.

We boarded another boat and then we were greeted by several Vietnamese men at the dock..and motorbikes. We were about to embark on an hour and a half journey to our overnight house. I got on the bike with Mr. Lin and we began our journey. The scenery was beautiful. Everything was lush and green! There were lovely rice paddies everywhere! Mr. Lin pointed them out and I said that I wished I had a bicycle and I could ride past the paddies. He said he will take me for a used bike that I can sell back when I leave.  We went over a bridge over the river which was quite wide and there were coconut trees everywhere. He said this island had the largest population of coconut trees. I felt so alive on that bike. The wind wipped past me and I couldn’t stop smiling at the traditional Vietnamese lives that we drove past. It was beautiful. The only downside was that your bum really hurt after a while.

After a break and witnessing a man grab a chicken and chuck it in his bag, probably for dinner, we continued on through a smaller dirt road patch. We eventually ended up to a bungalow type structure on the water. It was lovely. We were shown our rooms which didn’t have closed in windows or screens but luckily we had mosquito nets. Mr. Lin told us to hurry up and meet him at the dock for swimming.

We got to the dock and looked at the murky brown and muddy water. One by one we were brave enough to get in. The water was nice but the mud that your feet touched felt so foreign and gorss at first. Everyone shrieked including the boys. You just sank in the mushy and gooey mud. Eventually it got better and we had a good time. We covered our faces with the black mud. I had a hilarious photo taken by Mr. Lin. We swam and raced a bit. Then as we were swimming back to the dock, a fishing boat went past us. The dock didn’t have a ladder so it was interesting for us to get back on it. The boys had to lift me up after the makeshift wire ladder broke.

After showering, we enjoyed a dinner that was similar to the one we had at lunch. There were some special vegetarian dishes brought out for me as well. I did try snake. It was quite chewy and gross. I am not sure if that breaks vegetarian rules but when else would I get to try eating cobra. After dinner we played a card game. Then we went to our rooms and fought the bugs off of our beds. It was a very difficult hour trying to tuck in the mosquito net and spray every hole with bug spray in the dark. I had a decent sleep despite the heat, the dog that never stopped barking and the rooster that sounded like it was dieing.

The next morning we had breakfast and then continued on to another boat. We went past the floating markets and then we went to a woman’s home where she made rice sheets. We got to try making the rice sheets. Again, this was a bamboo home and the floors were dirt. Then we went to another place where they made popped rice. After we went to the oldest house in the Mekong and it was preserved by the government. The furniture and the house must have been worth heaps. It was beautiful. We had a fruit break there. Then we hopped on another boat and headed home to My Tho on the motorbikes. We kept missing the rain showers that the sky promised and we were quite fortunate with that.

The trip was an amazing experience. I am so glad that I am experiencing the local life. Another great thing is that Mr. Lin took us to places that many tourists didn’t know about which was also quite good.

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Later after dieing in the guesthouse of heat exhaustion because the power was out Riley, Leigh and I went to the park by the lake where New World held English Sundays once a month. The students came and it was a great way to play games to practice their English and win prizes. Afterwards, Miss Moon, Anthony (the green goop boy), Jeremy (the NZ teacher that the boys teased us about) joined us for milk tea in a really cool café overlooking the lake. We sat on the 4^th floor. Jeremy opened up a bit more and Miss Moon was lovely as usual.

Nick came down from Ho Chi Minh to stay with us for a few days and went for dinner at the night markets with us. On the walk there we witnessed a horrific motorbike accident that happened right in front of us. The bikes rolled on top of people. Yet, miraculously no one was hurt except for a few bruises and scrapes. We couldn’t get over it. The people involved looked pretty shaken. It was raining and they were driving too fast.

At dinner I ordered a plate of salt and pepper prawns and seafood vermecilli. Something like that in Australia would have costed me well over $30. Here it cost me $3.

This morning I taught with Riley and Ron, another Australian teacher told me that the children have it so well in this country. He said to watch how much their parents obsess over them. He said it was nothing like Cambodia which was the opposite. I taught a young glass today. The kids were only 4 and 5. They were so cute! There was a little girl in pig tails with a cute little sundress on. She had a cute headband on with a bow and we all stared at her in amazement for how sweet she was!

Mrs. Sno took me and the girls to lunch at the vegetarian restaurant. She ordered us a feast: springrolls, pumpkin flowers, yumcha chicken, soup with tofu and veggies and a pineapple smoothie. We were so full afterwards. Then she broke down and told us that she eats here all of the time because she wants to lose weight. She said her husband told her she was fat. How horrid! She was not at all! We all told her she was beautiful! She appreciated to comment and took us for more drinks at a restaurant with gardens next door.  She told us that she went to Sydney for 2 months to study child safety but none of the rules in Australia apply here. She explained that she feels frustrated because when she hears of a child having a hard time she cannot do a thing because the laws are different here. She wished there was more that she could do. I knew right then that working for a non-profit and humanitarian aid are definitely in the cards for me. I admire this women. She has such a caring heart and once again she covered the bill for us which was too generous. I understand that Asian women are particularly small and that they also cover themselves so much because being pale is attractive here. However, it still made me said that Mrs. Sno’s husband made her feel so sad and hungry. I told her again that I thought she was lovely and she was so happy. Then she made plans to take us dancing tomorrow.