Mekong Delta Tour

Yesterday, Traci, Bob and I left our house at about 6:30 to head to the Delta Adventures place in District 1, which is the touristy part of the city. We took a two-hour bus ride South down the crazy Highway 1, which stretches all the way from Hanoi (in the North) to the Delta region. It was a bumpy ride, but the guide was pretty entertaining. The bus drivers just honks their horns & all the people on motorbikes have to move. We took a break at a cafe along the way where there were a bunch of plastic tables & chairs & hammocks strung in between all the support pillars. It seems as if that is the standard lay out of street-side cafes & restaurants.

Once we arrived at the departure port, about 20 of us hopped in one of the rickety old boats. First, we went to Unicorn Island, & walked around. The people were super poor, and their houses were all dilapidated. Furthermore, the faces of the older men and women were so weathered, you could tell that they have worked hard their entire lives. Once a year, it rains there so much that the water levels reach about meter high, and the local people can barely get around the island. However, they have a lot of little mar
kets with mass-produced souvenirs and clothes, so they aren't dirt poor. The local people served us some delicious fruit, including plantains, papaya, pineapple, and a really pretty spikey one that I can't pronounce but tastes like lychee.

Next, we went to Coconut Island, where one family's coconut candy-making business reigns supreme. It was really cool watching the entire process being carried out, & the candy was pretty tasty! We stopped at a restaurant for some delicious vegetables, rice, & tofu, which I think is going to be my go-to meal here. In order to get back to the main boat, we were taken in little gondola-type canoes by the local people. Like the crowded streets in HCMC, the canals were packed full with canoes going in both directions.

After returning to the port, we hopped back on a bus, which was actually super comfortable. Traci & I reclined in our seats & attempted to nap. I had a difficult time, though, because of the roller-coaster feel of the ride & all the honking. However, it was entertaining to see what these people can cram onto the backs of their motor bikes and bicycles. There are families of four on a single motor bike, and I even saw a guy with three crates filled with about 50 live, honking ducks. I'd like to think that it is better for the environment to have almost no cars on the road, but there isn't an inch of pavement without a motorbike. The carbon emissions may actually be about the same as streets packed with cars.

Traci & I took the bus home from the town center once we got back into HCMC. There have been few times in my life that I was looking forward to showering more, so I was happy to get home. However, there is no actual shower stall in my bathroom. It's just a shower head on the wall, and the water is a little cooler than lukewarm. I wasn't complaining, though, because I would not have wanted a shower in this kind of heat anyways. We then stopped at the little food stand where we get free food at (for being ELI volunteers) & headed to the coffee shop across the street. I am disappointed I don't have internet at my house, but there is no shortage of coffee shops with internet.

The hardest parts so far are the language barrier, the filth of the streets, & the accompanying stench of the city. I'm going to make a valiant effort to learn some Vietnamese because without Traci, it would be way too hard to get around by myself. In terms of the smell, I think I will just have to get better at breathing through my mouth!