We’re still in the Mekong Delta, but unfortunately, not for long. We boarded a bus this morning and left for Ho Chi Minh City via Vietnam’s North-South Expressway. From there, we’ll find our way to the airport, where we’ll board a plane for Hanoi. We call this a “travel day.” Continue reading “Ho Chi Minh City”
Morning in My Tho
It’s morning in My Tho. And unfortunately, it’s time for us to say “good-bye” to the Mekong Delta. Even worse, it’s time for us to leave the boat that’s been our home for the past seven days. We’ve been on an Amawaterways cruise on the Mekong River, starting in Cambodia and ending here in My Tho. Continue reading “Morning in My Tho”
Mekong Delta Towns and Dong Hoa Hiep Village
We’re on the Mekong River, making our way toward the South China Sea, visiting Delta towns along the way. We crossed the Vietnam/Cambodia border at Tan Chau, stopped for a day at Sa Dec, and now we’re in Cai Be.
None of these Delta towns has what one would consider to be a giant tourist draw. If “Disneyland, Vietnam” is around here somewhere, I guess we missed it. These are working towns – homes to farmers and fishermen. But we’ve been getting a glimpse into a special part of the world that’s unlike anyplace I’ve experienced. I think it’s starting to grow on me. Continue reading “Mekong Delta Towns and Dong Hoa Hiep Village”
Delta Towns — Sa Dec and Cai Be
We’re in Sa Dec, Vietnam, wandering around in a large open-air market. There are hundreds of vendors here, selling whatever it is they’ve grown, caught, or raised. We passed through the produce section and the fresh fish section, where, as far as I could tell, everything that was for sale was still alive. When we left off last time, we were just leaving the fish section, headed for the “meat department.” Continue reading “Delta Towns — Sa Dec and Cai Be”
Welcome to Sa Dec, Vietnam!
We’re cruising around in the famous and infamous Mekong Delta. Fifty years ago, this was a place where few people wanted to be. Today, it’s a laid-back network of rivers, canals, and rice fields. It’s one of the most fertile places in the world, and home to 20 million people. Yesterday we visited the quiet little town of Tan Chau, just across the border from Cambodia. Now we’ve moved eastward, further into the delta toward the South China Sea. Our next stop is the hustling, bustling city of Sa Dec. Continue reading “Welcome to Sa Dec, Vietnam!”
How Now, Tan Chau?
Today we’re going to visit Tan Chau, Vietnam. It’s a small city just across the border from Cambodia. Tan Chau’s claim to fame is a special kind of silk produced here. We’re going to go see where it’s made, but I’m more interested just to see what life in a small town in this part of the world looks like. Continue reading “How Now, Tan Chau?”
Evergreen Island, Vietnam
We’re in Vietnam, on the Mekong river, just across the border from Cambodia. We’re heading into the Mekong Delta to see what this part of the world is like. Our first stop is at a place called “Evergreen Island.” Well, that’s what it’s called to us tourists, anyway. Continue reading “Evergreen Island, Vietnam”
Crossing the Border into An Giang Province, Vietnam
Our boat has dropped anchor in the middle of the Mekong river. We’re not going anywhere. We’re waiting for permission to cross the border from Cambodia into An Giang province, Vietnam. Not long ago, an official-looking boat motored out from shore to meet us. Uniformed personnel from the motorboat boarded our boat, but they didn’t stay long. They returned to shore – with all of our passports. Continue reading “Crossing the Border into An Giang Province, Vietnam”
Saying “Good-Bye” to Cambodia
It’s time for us to say “good-bye” to Phnom Penh and Cambodia. We don’t want to leave, but time marches on, and I guess, so do we. Our boat has already left the waters of the Tonlé Sap river. Now we’re floating gently down the Mekong river, headed south toward the Cambodia/Vietnam border. It’s only seventy miles from Phnom Penh to the border, so we’ll be there all too soon. Continue reading “Saying “Good-Bye” to Cambodia”
Cambodia’s Silver Pagoda, and “The Rest of the Story”
We’re in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, on the lush grounds of Cambodia’s Royal Palace. We’ve seen some beautiful buildings, but the most impressive is yet to come. Some people call it the Silver Pagoda. Others call it the Temple of the Emerald Buddha. C’mon… let’s go! Continue reading “Cambodia’s Silver Pagoda, and “The Rest of the Story””
