The Mekong Delta

Collected from our apartment block & taken to collect the other couple on our tour to the Mekong Delta - another Julia and Paul! Made it easy for the tour guide! First stop was the Buddhist Vinh Trang Pagoda with a very 'happy Buddha'. Next taken to the river to board a motorised sampan to Unicorn Island to see the exotic fruits growing, sample them with traditional folk music being played for us. Fruit was good - particularly liked the sapodilla which we had not eaten before. Then taken to a honey farm to try honey tea - delicious. Back on the sampan to Phung Island to transfer to a traditional sampan which was rowed for us along a canal under the shade of the water coconut trees. Taken to a coconut candy factory - every part of the coconut is used - husk to make carpet, coconut flesh was desiccated & then milk added back to make a slush, then pressed and milk extracted used as fertiliser and the shell is used to burn as fuel for the cooking of the candy. Tasted the candy but have too many fillings to risk eating any more - very sweet and chewy. Taken from here in a horse and carriage to a riverside restaurant for lunch. So much food - deep fried elephant-ear fish, braised fish, sour soup, omelette, morning glory, rice and watermelon. On the motorised sampan to take us back to the minibus to continue our journey to Can Tho for our overnight stop. Nice hotel. Walked to the riverside in the evening through the night market. Lovely dinner overlooking the river.Okumaya devam et