Sunday, 24 March 2013 at 06:01 Mekong Delta....
Up at 5 am, shower, check out, breakfast and then walk with the group to board the boat that will take us to the floating market which is, according to the guide, the largest on the Delta.....
.....as we travel deeper into the Delta we see many 'stilt houses' bordering the river and the odd high speed boat returning with purchases made at market. The boats are almost all powered by engines bolted onto a propeller shaft that's dipped into the water......so common in third world countries.
Then we reach the market and small boats pull alongside selling various things....I am immediately sucked in by two small children being used to sell...child labour I guess...but I buy a Fanta and later we get an iced coffee. It's clear that the market forms a key role in the region's infrastructure from large scale wholesale through to selling small scale goods. Actually, it's a pretty effective system, with the river providing the ideal transport system...so glad we did this.
On the way back, we see massive barges loaded with sand (or dried river mud) so that they just about float above the water....empty, they tower above us so it must be pretty deep this river. Call to see a rice noodle factory (grain to noodle) virtually all by hand....incredible: skilled and ingenious!!! Also visit a fruit farm & sample the fruit. We buy Jackfruit and share with backpackers.....great chat, great stories.
Back to the hotel, buy lunch then onto the coach for the long journey back to Saigon. Some of the group go off with our guide to complete the three day extended tour, while we get a nutter who sleeps, eats, plays the guitar and sings....but forgets to tell us anything about arrival time, where we are, comfort stops..get the idea? Give the driver a couple of dollars though....goodbyes...
Bavk in Crazy Ho Chi Minh City, get a drink, walk around, get a meal at Santas Italian!....serves all food types though....Really good meal..highly recommended..backpacker land not high class, that is. Back to G & Tom's ... Tom sorts us out....shower off the deet...G still at work.
Log on..check out Malasian GP ... controversy...Vettel wins but after JB gets that Crap McClaren (CM) into 5th they screw up the pit stop again and damage a wheel....retirement later. Heads must roll, I think.
G comes home about 9.30 after her incredibly long day and they eat a take away while de-stressing.... Sort out about hotels tomorrow I guess. And so to bed....
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