In normal Vietnamese time we depart about 20 minutes late (on Christmas Day) - no need to be worried about not being on time. I could have taken my time at breakfast and not inhaled the food.
We have about a 2 hour bus ride out of the city before getting on a boat, where we cruise down the river to a brick factory.
The bricks are made from the mud of the Mekong. We see how the mud is put into a machine and comes out shaped like bricks. All rather fascinating. The people who work there earn about USD 75 a month, however this is based on how many bricks they produce. And to think many of us spend that amount of money on a meal or two (depending of course where you eat!!).
Back onto the boat, this time to a coconut factory. We pass along the way piles and piles of coconuts - this area is known for them and use them for more than just coconut candy. After tasting a couple of coconut candies it was onto fruit and honey tea. I brought a fresh coconut for the juice and enjoyed eating the flesh as well.
We walk through the jungle to take motorbikes with a large seat at the back - these are like an open ute and sits around 8 people.
Now onto a much smaller boat, 4 people per boat, for a ride down a small river to a homestay place where we are having lunch. Getting on and off the boat is a little tricky for me as I'm in a skirt.....what was I thinking this morning!
Lunch is ready for us when we arrive - I sit with 3 American's who were all born in Vietnam. Lots of laughs and stories over elephant ear fish fresh rolls, which I must add were made for us thanks very much! Fried spring rolls; Fish stew; rice and a fish soup thingy (sort of like a hot pot). Washed down with a lemon soda, far too hot for beer!!! All very tasty.
With lunch over we get onto another type of boat to head back to where we first got on this morning. We are now back onto the bus, aah a/c how I've missed you!!!, for the 3 hour journey to Can Tho where we will spend the night.
We get into Can Tho close to sunset, the skyline was amazing!
After checking my room as instructed and dropping off my bags I met up with two couples and walked to the waterfront for dinner. Had a family style dinner on the water’s edge where I tasted frog but totally drew the line at tasting mice.
Boxing Day (Sunday 26 December) we have an early start, what's new! Coffee at the hotel is terrible so I head to the cafe next door for an iced coffee. At VND 7,000 (about USD 35 cents) you can't go wrong.
We have a short drive before getting on a boat to cruise down the river to a floating market. Great to see it again but I'm a little disappointed that it's quite small, I remember two years ago seeing a much larger market. The market is a wholesale market, with people buying dozens of items rather than one or two. They then either sell to customers directly or sell onto other people who will sell on to the public.
The boats advertises their produce by putting it up on a flag pole - no need to tie yourself up to a boat only to find out that they don't sell what you need.
More cruising up a river until we reach an orchard. There are at least 40 different types of fruit grown here plus a few geese and rosters thrown in for good measure. We get to try a few of the fruit they grow before getting back onto the boat and cruising back to Can Tho.
We have 1 hour for lunch, which is on our own but with nowhere else to eat other than where they take us this is our only option or go hungry. The food definitely isn't nice.
Back onto the bus to Vinh Long where myself and 6 others leave the tour and change onto a new one. The tour we have been on is now heading back to Saigon. We are definitely the new kids on the block and get strange stares! As everyone enters the bus they question whether they're on the right one. We now have a 3.5 hour ride to reach Chau Doc where we will spend the night, it's only 150 km however this is Vietnam.
Finally get to our destination at 6.30pm, I feel ready for at least 12 hours sleep but as breakfast is at 6.30am tomorrow and I need to have dinner SO that isn't going to happen.
Monday (27 December) I'm woken around 4.30am by the street noise - and here I was thinking I could live in Vietnam. No thanks when this is the daily wakeup time.
After breakfast I grab an iced coffee across the road from the hotel for the high price of USD 25 cents - brilliant! We leave the hotel 30 minutes late and head to the wharf.
After putting my pack into the boat that will take us to the Cambodian border, we split into two’s and get onto small rowing boats to be rowed to a fishing village. We get off the boat to see the fish, before getting back on and being taken around the village. Lots of look at. I’m surprised with how many places have animals, dogs, chickens and even two places I saw had a number of large pigs. Before getting off the boat one of the lady rowers proudly announces to everyone that she got VND 100,000 (USD 5) from an American man and how we all need to give the same to our lady. I think not! The man I was in the boat with did tip, however only 10% of that.
Later on the man who gave the big tip is told off by his son (who by the way got married on Christmas Day to a Vietnamese lady) as it was far too much.
Those of us going to Cambodia had to get back onto the rowing boat for a small ride to the boat that is to take us to the border. We are only 20 km's away yet we were advised it will take us around 3 hours to get there!
The journey, while long, was peaceful with lots of look at. Thankfully the horn wasn't going every 2 seconds.
We arrive at the border, where our guide greets us with our passports (thank goodness!!). After a 40 minute break for lunch we are off to cross into Cambodia.
Bye bye Vietnam, it's been a wonderful 3 weeks! I hope one day to return.
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