Yesterday we took a two hour bus trip from Saigon to the Mekong Delta. Vietnam…we had finally arrived! It was just how I had pictured the country before we arrived. Lush green banana and palm trees poked up from beneath the water as we sat in a rotting old boat, floating down the many canals.
First we stopped on Unicorn Island where I was hoping the landmass would live up to it’s name and produce a few unicorns for some photo ops. Instead of Unicorns, we were presented with a very large disgusting snake. I don’t know what kind it was and quite frankly I don’t care. As far as I’m concerned, it’s of the kind that I hope I never see again.
People (including Pete) took turns wrapping the massive beast around them for photos. I stood as far back as possible, wishing I had a better zoom lens when it was Pete’s turn. We sipped honey tea there, and bought some delicious honey peanut candy.
We then loaded into the boats, donned a traditional Vietnamese triangular straw hat, and floated down a skinny canal, bashing into other boats making the little Vietnamese ladies roar with laughter.
Walking through a grove of tall green palms, I had an urge to run from the group, find my own little space on the island and live there for a while, rent and hassle free. (weird?!) We arrived at a little hut where they collect the coconuts from the island and make make it into coconut candy, combined with either chocolate, durian or green onion?! The chocolate and plain coconut varieties were heavenly like most sickly sweet fattening sweets here in Vietnam.
Back into the boats, we arrived at another little port with a big bang as our boat just crashed into the dock. What’s one more little boo-boo on this vessel’s exterior? It adds character. We sat with a Japanese couple and enjoyed a delicious Elephant fish, deep fried, that you roll in rice paper with fresh herbs to make spring rolls. Mmmm!
We then took one of the many rusting bikes available to borrow, and pedaled in a direction chosen by chance, with no destination. Little children gathered at the gates to their houses shouting “hello!” and pointing and laughing at us. I still don’t completely understand why they laugh, but I think it’s all a combination of not seeing many white people, wanting to practice their English but a bit timid to do so, and that we are probably the biggest giants they’ve ever seen.
Crossing the river back to My Tho, a huge bridge resembling the Alex Fraser in Vancouver lurked in the distance. It seemed a bit out of place, not very Vietnamese. The Australian government had helped them build it only a few years ago. What used to take over an hour to cross now only takes a few minutes.
Back on the bus I sat contently, reminiscing about the events of the day. This was the real Vietnam. I realize that life here is not going to be like that very often as we’re living in the largest city of more than seven million people, but this was what I came for. This was traditional Vietnamese…the real deal.