Mekhong Delta, Vietnam

Mekhong Delta

Our tour of the Mekhong delta was a breathtaking whirlwind, covering many aspects of this fertile area in a short amount of time. We took a tour bus from downtown Ho Chi Minh City, until we reached the delta and then the entire group boarded a boat that took us down the river. The Mekhong is enormous, as wide as a football field is long in some parts. The water is a terra-cotta brown, a result of the silt that is constantly being stirred up. As out boat cruised along, we passed all sort of crafts, from enormous barges loaded with tons of sand, to small fishing boats manned by the local villagers.

Our first stop was to a small outpost where they made coconut candy. The coconut milk is first extracted by a press, then cooked with sugar until it's thick and syrupy. They then cool it, and stretch it out on long tables like taffy until it's cut into bite-sized pieces. It was delicious, and amazing to watch the process. They use every bit of the coconut, including the husks which they use as kindling to fire the stoves.

Moving along, were taken to enjoy out next treat: honey tea. The tea is light and citrusy, and complemented by honey made from local bees. Apparently, the hives were not far away, since throughout the tasting we were accompanies by the bees, who seemed to be reclaiming their honey by attaching themselves to every sweet surface on out table- including the rims of our glass. After successfully avoiding bee-stung lips, I decided a little more danger was in order, and posed for a picture with a giant python wrapped over my shoulders. The snake was actually very serene, and didn't seem to mind the photo-op too much.

Then, in a caravan of carts pulled by donkeys, we made our way to our next stop, where we would be served fresh local fruit and serenaded by traditional Vietnamese music. The fruit was sweet and fragrant, and included several types of lychees, hot-pink and spiky dragon fruit, miniature bananas, and others that I couldn't even name. The music consisted of traditional stringed, guitar-like instruments, and two vocalists. The songs were at times haunting, but carried a hopeful tone (even though I couldn't understand any of the lyrics). Sitting there, enjoying the colorful fruit and timeless music in a setting that appeared to be the middle of the jungle was quite a treat, and a welcome respite from the hectic bustle of the city to which we were soon headed.