Mekong Delta

3rd April

Mekong Delta 

I was awake early for a trip to the Mekong Delta and was met on the corner of the busy street by my tour guide called May. 

....here a little cart, offering key cutting etc.....just on the street corner.

I was the first to be picked up, and later I was really happy as a girl from the Hostel in Hoi An, Janna from Belgium, got on the bus. We were both really happy to see a familiar face.

It took 2 hours to get to the heart of the Mekong and we had interesting information from May, who had a cool sense of humour and is from the delta herself. Because the Mekong delta is so far south it is quite tropical and has only two seasons, unlike the four they have in the north. They grow a lot of fruit there and there is a large network of canals, as well as the river, so it is extremely fertile. They also grow a lot of coconut and also 'water coconut' which is like a jelly-like fruit that grows inside a nut. 

We got to try some Water coconut juice later:

Traditionally, in the Mekong, they eat rice with fruit, which is unique to this part of Vietnam. There is not as much meat available so they also eat snake (cobra), crocodile (which they farm) and also - sometimes - the larvae of the coconut weevil which is found inside the core of the coconut tree. It is considered a high protein delicacy and May asked around the bus if anyone wanted to try one at lunch time, as it had to be ordered specially. Three people opted to try it.......ugghhhh!!

The video linked below is of a YouTuber......Squeamish Alert!! ......sadly I didn't film our party eating their's. It was quite funny seeing the expressions on their faces!

https://youtu.be/vGuC5z__aOw

We first went on a boat across the muddy Mekong River, know in Vietnam as Sông Cù'u Long, which translates to the 'Nine Dragon River' due to the nine major tributaries through which the Mekong flows to meet the sea. Starting in China it flows down through Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and finally Vietnam.

We saw some beehives, and drank some honey tea and snacks........this was partly a ruse to get us to buy stuff, but we weren't pressured.

then some 'snake charming'.......

and again, we sat and ate some locally grown fruit whilst a collection of singers and musicians performed for us.

Then a ride on a row-boat through the Water Coconut plants

Then, onto another boat to where we stopped for lunch

although, before we sat down to eat, we had a 15 minute bike ride around the countryside. This was a truly eventful trip! 😀

The food was delicious. Some of the party had ordered the snake and crocodile (which was extra) and the 3 people - two Danish lads and a Hungarian lady - got to eat their worms - uggghhh - seeing them wriggling around in the little bowl made me feel sad and sick, all at the same time.........

........but I probably shouldn't judge, as the fish, I was happy to eat, was also alive once too.

We got to ride in a little 'Lamborghini'

Then visited the coconut candy place - another opportunity to buy!

and, of course, the inevitable 'happy water' - these infused with cobra and banana - yum yum!

Back across the Mekong River......some of the boats have eyes painted on the front to ward off animals (there were once wild crocodiles) and spirits, but practically, the fishing boats are plain and painted black so as not to scare away the fish.

We learnt about a strange religion - the coconut monks - who eat only coconut and fruit and shower just once a year (on the day of Buddha's birthday, April 15th). In reality this is some 'made up' spin off of Buddhism, I believe, and a cult - the monks allowed to take 9 wives etc. - It was apparently banned in 1975.

Finally we went to a Pagoda where there were several statues and temples including a 'laughing Buddah'

'grumpy Buddha'........

a reclining Buddha. These statues are huge, the scale of which, you can't really appreciate from a picture.

This 'diagram' struck me.........

.....is this the stage I am in life, and what does this mean.......a 'wandering with my belongings' stage?......or I suppose it means pension??.......

a Lady Buddah:

I realised, later, that it was Good Friday.........in celebration of which I am including this photo of me in a conical hat - enhanced by my sister into an Easter bonnet!

Happy Easter!! 🐇🐣

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