Mekong Delta

Last week we took a two day tour out of Saigon through the Mekong River Delta. We traveled by bus and especially enjoyed our experiences meeting other people. It was a nice mix of young backpacker types and middle aged people like us. We toured by bus to the delta and then by about 8 different boats, ranging from huge ferries to medium size tour boats, all the way to dugouts that were very narrow, holding only six people. We went down little jungle rivers and canals. It seemed like if you had served in Viet Nam is would bring back some eerie feelings. We spent the night in a small bungalow right on a river, with mosquito netting and the bathroom down at the end. We enjoyed a fantastic home cooked meal which we shared over conversation with a couple from France, a couple from England, and two single guys from Australia. The meal was out under the stars and very pleasant. Then there was the long bus ride back, stuffed like sardines in a too-warm 12 passenger bus. On the bus were 3 young people who were on holiday as English teachers. One was from New Zealand, accompanied by her cousin from Seattle and a third person from Edinburgh, Scotland. There was also a tall slender white guy of Dutch heritage who is a native of South Africa.

We are now in the resort town of Mui Ne, taking a few days of rest after leaving the hustle and bustle of travel and Saigon. We have a beautiful ocean-front bungalow, including a hammock on the front porch. Right next to the resort is a small fishing community. Last night as we were watching the sunset, fishermen rowed past in small round basket-looking boats, 2 boys were net fishing in the surf, and 3 kids herded a dozen cows down the beach right in front of us. Pictures to follow later this week.