Mekong Delta

Writing this, days, it feels like we've been here. And not in a bad way. 

Today we were picked up early for a couple of hours drive to the Mekong Delta where we took a traditional sampan up river with a pleasant Australian family and our guide Uyen.

We've spent a leisurely six hours meandering up a small canal (actually, think big river, but small and more interesting in terms of views compared to the main river itself which is about 2km across).

We had two stop offs. Firstly, to visit a Buddhist nuns' convent and discover about the produce they make and grow, sampling soy-based produce straight from the homemade jars (which did then seem to go back on sale!) and intensely rich soy sauce in a huge hot earthen-ware pot, filled to the brim. The nun who greeted us was very friendly, gripping me tight around the waist as we walked in. A lovely Vietnamese boy has been taken in with his mother and he entertained us including photo bombing one of my photos of the soya drying pots.

The last stop was a walk along a quiet lane of farm houses which backed onto paddy fields. I had my first look at rice growing close up and wasn't actually expecting it to resemble wheat or corn. 

We stopped in a primary school and were welcomed in to meet the children to add a little 'culture' to their lessons as they see very few westerners, apparently. Their smiling eyes are just gorgeous. They sang us a song before we headed off to meet a basket weaving family who could made about 100 baskets in 5 hours for the princely sum of around £7.50. 

Every part of the rice plant is used and there were boat loads of rice and rice husks being shipped from the riverside factories up and down the waterways. Watching people at work and rest as we went by was wonderful. I still can't believe the huge variety of fruit and vegetables available here. 

We had another hour and a half in a coach before arriving at our final destination (still on the river) for the next three days... Chau Doc, a riverside city on the edge of the Cambodian border.

Lovely meal in the hotel and now another much needed sleep.