Mekong-Delta

29th May 2010 A morning of packing was followed by an afternoon movie and general hanging around in Starbucks. Although we were able to leave our big bags at the hotel, we still had to carry our hand luggage with us and had decided a few days ago that it would just be best to be in one place for a while. The cinema seemed like a good option :). However, we had underestimated how busy it would be and failed to get tickets for anything besides the Prince of Persia, which was predictable but good. ...

31st March 2010 Back from our Mekong Delta trip and we needed to do a raft of jobs before moving on tomorrow to the mountain town of Dalat. We started with another visit to the Post Office to send home our new clothes and the picture we bought in Malacca. That sorted - they even managed to find a box to fit! - we headed off to the Tax Centre which is a cross between a shopping centre and a market. On the way we passed the grand old colonial Opera House building. ...

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. ...

29th March 2010 The Mekong Delta is the region in southwestern Vietnam where the Mekong River approaches and empties into the sea through a network of tributaries. The Mekong delta region encompasses a massive area of southeastern Vietnam where water coverage depends on the season. The region is famous as a large rice growing area and produces about half of the total of Vietnam’s rice output. Vietnam is the second largest exporter of rice globally after Thailand. ...

23rd March 2010 …in more ways than one! We elected to take it easy today and just get used to Saigon. We started the morning with a trip to the market round the corner for some fruit and yoghurt for breakfast, then onto the larger market down the road for a wander about. You feel quiet conspicuous wandering through the tiny pathways between the stalls. We’re in an area where you don’t see many westerners, so we stick out like a sore thumb, and the alleyways really are tiny. ...