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| Typical paddle style boat |
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| Frances and Diep enjoying fresh coconut on the Mekong Delta |
After a 2 hour drive west through industrial areas and new housing developments (for those Vietnamese who can afford it) we arrived at the delta.
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| Fast motorised version |
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| Our fore-paddler - note the arm to hand covering for protection from the sun |
The canals are the only form of transport and although most were paddled by hand there were some with car engines attached to a long shaft with a propeller that could be raised or lowered into the water. These could travel quite fast.
The tour consisted of being paddled in a long narrow boat along the maze of canals between slightly raised areas used for living and cultivation.
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| Eating fresh fruit and listening to the local musical group |
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| We were assured that the bees did not sting |
We ate a table of fruit on the first island (after running the shopping gauntlet), and listened to a local musical group, after which we were required to make a donation. The island dwellers appear to mix local production with tourism to supplement their very low income. These are probably not islands in the normal sense, but low-lying land inter-cut by channels of water. It's impossible to see very far, and, for the unknowing, incredibly easy to get lost.
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| Making candy, from raw materials to final packaging |
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| Whole deep-fried fish |
For dinner we just picked up snacks at an interesting local deli/food shop, and ate it in the hotel, washed down with G&T.