The Mekong Delta

From Hanoi, Matt and I flew to Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and hired a car to drive us to Can Tho in the Mekong Delta. It was a long, slow, bumpy ride! I probably would not do it again unless I had more time to peruse the area. We were on a tight time schedule, and unfortunately we spent most of our time driving! It was interesting to see the Delta: lots of rice paddies and women wearing ao dais and conical hats. Very scenic! Our hotel in Can Tho was not very good, but I think we were just spoiled after the Church Hotel in Hanoi. Early the next morning, we went hired a boat to take us to the floating market. It was very picturesque. People were selling all types of fruits and vegetables and you good even buy pho or coffee from peoples' boats. Sort of like mini floating restuarants! Unfortunately, our boat driver took us to a weird coffee shop/restuarant/exotic animal prison. (They had monkeys tied to trees, alligators in tiny cages and other various sad looking creatures.) It seems like they always do that to you in Asia...you hire someone to do one thing for you and then they bring you around to all their friends and try to sell you a whole bunch of stuff you don't want. It was fun anyway though...the market was nice and at the animal prison we met a Vietnamese man who had an orchard, and he lets tourists do homestays with his family. It could be fun, staying with a Vietnamese family. It could also be very much NOT fun...I guess you would have to try it to find out. Honestly, I was slightly wary of Vietnamese people after Hanoi. In South Vietnam they were much more friendly, but not friendly enough to make me forget Hanoi!

After we visited the floating market, we had another long car trip to Rach Gia, where we boarded the ferry for Phu Quoc Island.


Stilt Houses


More Stilt Houses


Ladies Selling Fruit


Ladies Selling Pineapple


Matt Relaxing on Our Boat


Meagan on the boat heading towards the floating market near Can Tho


Relaxing at the Market