I had no idea how absolutely huge the Mekong delta is, and we’ve barely covered a fraction. I just found a local map in a curious little corner shop and it shows the main deltas and waterways; far too many to count. It’s a curious mix of old, new and floatable, and forget my website ‘things on my bike’ this is much more fun…
The usual way to see the delta is a quick tour from Saigon, glad we did it over a week instead, gave us a chilled view of the muddy backwaters, markets; land and floating, and general life happening on the river, along with a rather interesting minibus trip flying through the back roads on what can only optimistically be described as the back shelf of the bus (we were a little late to choose a seat, and I had the distinct impression where we sat was usually reserved for chickens, particularly when said chicken was given prime space at front of bus after an attempt to pop him in the boot)…
We are in Chau Doc at the moment, close to the border with Cambodia, a pretty chilled little town with a thriving market, a posh hotel with a good view, and a cheap hotel with a loud aspect (we’re in the latter). Heading to Phnom Penh on a fast boat first thing in the morning…we’ve loved Vietnam so much, we’ve decided to come back a week earlier from Cambodia; still gives us 5 days in Siam Reap plus a few in Phom Penh, so have booked a flight to Dalat from where we’ll then make our way back to Saigon via Nha Trang.
I leave you with a few shots of an early rise and morning market on the delta, where instead of a shop sign, you just hang up your wares on a bamboo pole:
yeehaahols 