Carry on up the Mekong Delta

As the Mekong Delta tour continued into the second and third days, I became more convinced that what we should have done is just organise three days of boat trips up the river system because I was really enjoying all of the travel up (and inevitably back down to get the bus) the river, but I couldn't really be bothered with most of the activities the operators seem to think are the whole point of the tour. Anyway, we didn't realise it would be easy to do (apparently it is), and the main reason to go this way was to take a pleasant and hassle-free route into Cambodia.

Action shot of floating market

The second day was all about floating market, for which we had to get up really early. The first market was quite interesting, but quite small; the next one is the really big one, we were told. Strangely we stopped for lunch before heading off back up the river to the second market. It was strange because we were told the reason we had to be up so early was to make sure the market was still on, but they knew what they were doing I supposed. It was about an hour up river to the second floating market where there was one boat selling some sort of fried bread snacks, then we turned around and it was another hour back to the bus. Hollie, Allan, Joanne, and I installed ourselves at the back of the bus where the bad kids sit, and drank beer, talking tipsily the whole way while the other passengers tried to sleep off the early morning rise.

It was quite a way to Chau Doc, and when we arrived everyone was booked into the hotel except us, who had to be shunted up to the next hotel because the first was full. Both hotels were infested, we discovered the next morning. Worried we would miss out on everyone else socialising we rushed back to the original hotel, where most people seemed to have opted for an early night, but Hollie and Allan were there and still ready to go out for dinner. Eel.

Eel

Farmed fish being fed

The next morning we were taken to a fish farm, which I expected to be the same as the one we'd seen in Halong Bay, but it was actually a lot more intensive. I don't know how many fish they ad packed into a tiny wee space, but they went totally berserk when some food was thrown in. Next it was off to visit an ethnic minority village.

House on stilts with flood level marked

I can't even remember which ethnic group they were now, but it may have been Khmers (or maybe Cham Muslims, I can't remember...), but weaving and living in houses on stilts seemed to be the definitive features of their culture. Actually the stilts is really just about not having you house washed away when the Mekong Delta floods, but I suppose it is a cultural choice whether you do this or build floating houses, which seems to be the most common Vietnamese solution.

Isn't this bridge in Apocalypse Now?

Again all OK, but not terribly exciting. Next it was onto the slow boat to Cambodia. Actually the speed wasn't so much the problem as the really uncomfortable seats, but the scenery was lovely, so I didn't really notice that my bum was numb until I tried to stand up for the border crossing. This has to be the easiest, most laid-back customs I've ever been through: dock your boat, spend a minute queuing to pick up your already stamped and visa'd passport, cunningly couriered ahead by the guide on motorcycle, so that they were ready for our arrival. Then it was on into Cambodia for a few more hours before docking and getting a bus to Phnom Penh.

Slow boat to Cambodia

Carry on up the Mekong Delta

Chau Doc, Vietnam