Vietnam: 10~In the Mekong Delta

We had reached the Mekong Delta. The bus driver deposited us and our guide at a departure point along the river and we were shown to a long covered ferry type boat with open sides. For about half an hour we were taken around, along, across the river.

There was just so much to see – the combination of muddy water, old boats and houses, clutter and colour everywhere.

The very modern bridge an odd contrast to our rustic surrounds

Some boats have eyes painted on their bows, this is done for a variety of superstitious reasons

If you were a motorised boat, this is where you'd be taken for refuelling

We disembarked at one of the islands and followed the guide on a walk along some pathways, through markets, avoiding torrential rain, to a restaurant where we had a quick pitstop.

Many - all? - Vietnamese are buried above the ground, possibly because of the low water table or high rainfall.

The very exotic dragon fruit. I quite liked it

We were heading down a well trodden tourist route but we browsed the markets nonetheless

We came across a confectionary shop and kitchen. With ingredients such as coconut and condensed milk I felt sure it would be a winner. And it came in chocolate flavour. Fantastic discovery.

A peaceful lane. Dry one second...

...very wet the next! A local family let us shelter in their house when this downpour struck

Cue the lovely waterproof ponchos

We made it to the restaurant and attacked a few plates of Vietnamese fruit

With rain over for now, the guide led us a little further on to another jetty. There we climbed down and into a series of sampan boats for a 20 minute canal ride to where the larger river boat was waiting. This was another detail that Dan and Mark didn’t explicitly tell us about and it was a nice surprise. The boats took four passengers, plus the two women paddling. It was so peaceful, especially with the natural rainforest-type canopy overhead.

Sampan boats moored along the edges of the narrow waterway

On our sampan boat ride

Once back in the boat we were ferried back across the river and back to our bus. Our second dose of heavy rain arrived on the way and caused mild flooding in some areas we passed. We watched with interest as scooter riders pulled over in hoards, usually just to put on poncho things before continuing on their way.

Torrential rain? Piffle! (Or Vietnamese equivalent)

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This is part of a series recounting my July 2009 trip to Vietnam.