Mekong Delta

On Monday we went from the heat of the city to the humidity of the river basin as we traveled south of HCMC to the Mekong Delta. It was great to be near the water, touring the river by boat is the only way to see the wealth of produce and activities in the riverbank and islands neighborhoods.

You can make anything into liquor... coconut wine!

Stopping at the dock of one community, we saw rice being turned into flour, then a wide variety of products to be sold at market. In another, coconuts were the main operation, producing everything from coconut oil to candy. Whatever the produce or procedure, every part of the product is used. The coconut fibers (coir) are woven into rope and mats, palms become roofs and brooms. Anything left from any process is burned to use as fertilizer.

Obviously, the river itself is a main source of fish and we saw many boats working with their nets. It’s also a major means of transport, with large san pans laden with everything from bananas to trees being taken from one area to another.

Gary didn’t do service time in the Mekong, but it brought back memories of his time north near the Da Nang river. He commented about how the sounds of those large boats, chugging up the river, reminded him of the helicopters constantly patrolling the area. The debris, branches and coconuts floating down the river brought back images of bodies carried by the current during the height of the conflict.

We stayed overnight at a ‘homestay,’ although it was really much nicer than many of the locals enjoy. We had electric fans and mosquito nets, even wifi. They let us help making the meal and we enjoyed a feast along the bank of the river. People in the area are very close knit, so we had many visits from the children and relatives of our homestay family.

The sound of boats never ceased overnight as everyone was working extra hard, preparing for Tet. I was up early to watch the beautiful sunrise, before enjoying a bit more of the rural quiet this morning before returning to HCMC for another night.

Our Mekong guide Phy and her son