30th March 2010
It was an early start this morning so that we could enjoy our breakfast before returning to join our tour group. The early start was rewarded with a beautiful sunrise over the river and a chance to see the day beginning for so many people.
Since there were five of us to get back to town our host took us by boat from the homestay to the centre. A fabulous way to travel, catching glimpses into some of the houses along the river bank and seeing daily life.
We arrived at our appointed meeting place where we had to wait for our tour group to catch up with us. By the sounds of it we definately made the right choice for our accomodation. Some people were less than impressed with the hotel.
We boarded another boat for our trip out to the floating markets at Cai Long. These were much bigger markets then yesterday and quiet busy with tourist boats. Although they live on the water, they quite obviously still have a TV and electricity.
After a jaunt around the market, we expored some of the lush green tributaries of the Mekong. The children along our route were fabulous, always waving and smiling. One little girl in a hammock was even blowing kisses. Delightful!
Our next stop was a tropical fruit orchard where they were growing all types of fruit including mango, pineapple, jackfruit and pawpaw. All of which we were given the opportunity to sample along with a refreshing cup of green tea.
It was then back on the boat for our trip back to the bus and onto our lunch stop. It had been a wonderful morning cruising around the mekong Delta with its verdant foliage and happy, smiling people, but now came the rather mundane business of getting back to Saigon.
Our lunch stop was rather nice with food being delivered by a chap on roller skates. No field mice on the menu though which was what Karen had had when she had done the same tour!
By the time we reached the Vinh Long markets where the tour buses meet to take people onto Cambodia we were really ready to get back to Saigon. However and ice cream and cold drink were pleasant enough while we waited to get back on the bus. We crossed the My Thuan suspension bridge, a joint Australian Vietnamese project completed in 2000.
Our final stop of the day was at the Mekong rest stop, a sort of services on the edge of the Mekong Delta. Actually quite a pleasant place with shady paths, spotless toilets and a lake full of lotus flowers.
When we finally arrived back in Saigon we hopped straight in a taxi and back to Karen’s flat for a long awaited shower. Feeling a lot better we headed back out to book our Halong Bay tour for later in the month, and pick up our clothes from the tailer.
We were delighted with the finished articles. So much so in my case that I actually wore my dress home! The Ao dai is beautiful too and Ed’s suit is a perfect fit. The tailor even gave him a tie and cufflinks set as a gift to go with his new suit.
