Vietnam Mekong Delta - Vinh Long

High School Ao Dai(traditional vietnamese dress)
Fruit vendor cutting Vu Sau, literally means breast milk. Go figure

If you end up in Vinh Long, do grab hold of the opportunity to do a homestay here. Just across the main town is a fertile island, not just for the numerous fruits trees that they bear but also the opportunity to stay in one of those rustic and basic homes. For those on a luxury budget, head straight to Cuu Long tourist office and arrange for a private stay with other programmes for about US$40+. For the rest, don't bother to bargain too much with the private tour operators, the price they offer are in the same league as Cuu Long and any bargaining wont get you below the other operator Mekong Travel. Itineary and price for Mekong Travel

It is also here at Mekong Travel that i finally met the first and only person who did not say i am from Korea or Japan or China or anywhere else! Finally someone who could tell i am from Singapore!

Fruits plantation

Gas station for boats
My homestay room with a toilet that looks like it was pulled out of a hotel. It really looked out of place in this surroundings of trees and soil
Exploring the island reveals a whole series of fruits including pomelo
Papaya
Star apple
Longan
Bananas and i am sure many more that i did not get my lens on

Dinner was prepared by the lady owner of the house who did not speak any english. There was only 2 of there, me and Sebastian the cook from germany. He had booked the tour from Saigon and on his itineary, there is a cooking class... we ended up cutting the carrots. There is no charcoal, no gas to cook. They depend on cut wood and branches for fire. The dinner was fabulous in any case. Dinner being cooked
Traditional methods
TADA!
Breakfast next monday was not too shabby either

Included in the day program is a visit to the cottage industry where we will see how local products such as pop rice(something like pop corn but rice), rice paper, and coconut candy is made. The whole experience feels strangely familiar. 1 and a half year ago, i had come to vietnam(HCMC) with my family for a week holiday. At that time, we were brought around in tour buses and i did not had any idea where i went. What i do remember is being to a cottage industry like this.

Rice paper
Pop rice
Rice paper

Because we are part of the tour(even though there are just 2 of us), we needed to wait for the rest of the day trippers to come so we could leave together. With spare time, sebastian and i decided to explore the island a little. What we walked into is a local wedding! (Is anyone counting the weddings i been to?)Fortunately for me, he blocked several glass of the potent rice wine for me
Sebastian with the newly weds
Lunch was again very familiar with the elephant fish which i clearly remembered i had it on my last trip to vietnam. It still retained its delicious taste i had back then
With the fish flapping its tail in the tummy, you could either cycle around the island
or laze in the hammock
Lastly for the tour is a short sampan boat ride
Our lady at work
I am proud to say i rowed for half the trip!
And sebastian while trying to figure out how to row did 10%

Vietnam CanTho City

Vietnam Mekong Delta - Can tho City

Finally i am at the end of the mekong river, the area right before it spills into the sea. After following its flow for more than 2 months, i am glad that soon i will realeased from its grasp.

A unique feature in this provincial city is the availability of 2 indigenous floating market in the vicinity. I had this pre conceived image of how colourful and beautful these bustling market would be. It however turned out to be far from what i expected. Nonetheless, it is still worth a visit if you are here. The official tourist agency would offer it for about US$13/pax. Go down to the river side and you will have a much better offer. Offers from US$12-20/boat(sits max 5) to 2 floating market(5-6hours) are available with a snap of the finger. Dont forget to bargain!
The start of a long 5 hour boat ride
Start of trading!
They will hang their goods on bamboo poles for "advertisement"
If you feel thirsty anytime, no worries!
You can not only use money to buy, you can trade anything that you own. Now, how many watermelons can this camera fetch?
Because of the widespread of motorcycles, locals no longer have the need to depend on the floating market for their goods, resulting in the decline of trading boats
I met them on the diving trip in Phu Quoc island(see last post) and i see them again here! Joe and Damien from Whales
While walking along the streets i was approached by Phoung who wanted to practice english. Majoring in tourism, she is our tour guide for the day!
Ladies at the market
Confusing signs

Along the river, near the gigantic Ho Chi Minh Statue, there is an atmospheric chinese temple worth peaking in. Wear a hat or watch your head as you venture into this premises. There are numerous coil incense buring overhead. Each lasting for 2 weeks, they carry the wishes and prayers of the people who strike them. Go at the right time and you will have the place all set up for a great photo. Looks like giant mosquito coils
Smells like singapore :D

Riding on Phuong's bicycle, we pedal our way to CanTho University where she studies in. This is the most prestigious university in the mekong delta and the dream school of many in the area. CanTho University

It is definitely not the newest nor the most modern university, nonetheless it still has the neccessary vibe and energy that is prevalent in all schools.

The dorms are 4,8 or 10 people each room and cost just 80,000vnd equivalent to just S$7.20 per month! If only the lodgings in singapore university are this cheap... For the same price, you could be in the this new building
or in this dump, real unfair if you ask me.

If you ever feel bored or need a guide in Cantho, why not head to the riverside in the evening. You would spot several students looking for opportunities to practice english with foreigners.
Typical scene of Xe Om(moto taxi) crowding for business

Vietnam is great!

Check out at Cambodia! My new wallpaper, Halong Bay!

Yes finally i am into vietnam and now 1.5months later, i am glad to say i am still there! Because i display my current location on msn messenger, people have been asking me "Why are you still in vietnam?", "When are you going somewhere else?", "Vietnam so nice?"

More than 3 months on the road, i feel like my purpose had shifted tremendously. For the first leg of thailand, laos and cambodia i had a plan, a very rough one, but a plan nonetheless. More or less, i sticked pretty much to it. I knew where i wanted to go, what to see, how long i am staying, how to get there and how to get to my next destination. The moment i am done with those sights, i moved on.

Of these 4 countries, i was actually more excited about vietnam. I dont know why, maybe it was the conical hat or the sleek and slim ao dai(traditional vietnames dress) or all the Pho that i can have. It was my 2nd time here, the first being a week holiday to HCMC with my parents being shuttled around in tour buses. I knew there is much more to this country. 1.5months down, i realised it is VERY much more! My first Pho in vietnam
With her smile, i couldnt resist but by a watermelon from her the 2nd time i walked past In vietnam, guesthouses are almost a non existance. Instead hotels of varying quality are what you get.3 hours ferry to Phu Quoc Island. 100,000vnd($9)
Mostly locals take this. Tourists take the 250,000vnd 1 hour speed boat.
Hungry pack of Xe Om(moto taxi, remember this word as it will appear many times in other posts) waiting the ferry

The Xe om were so hungry they were fighting off each other. One even stalked me for 1km. Riding a few paces behind me, stopping when i stop and even when i went into a shop to hide, he followed. When i approach another Xe om, they even got into a heated argument. It was until i told him to get lost that he went away. Being one of the few foreigners on board(there is just another western family), i am the perfect sheep to fleece. They are even more expensive than taxis in singapore!

By the time i shake the guy off, i was too far off from town. I needed to get 13km to the main town on the island and tried to hitch hike. Without a helmet, nobody wants to risk taking me.

Fortunately the western family who took a mini van picked me up and i got a free ride into town! Fresh spring rolls! Mmm Ngon! (Mmm Delicious!)
Beach with kids
Sunset view
Dont drown in the 15cm deep water!!
Local sweets popular with the kids

Of course i went to queue up and get one. Being the tall guy(the rest were kids), it felt kinda awkward. HAHA! One young lady with her sister started to talk to me in Viet. After telling her i dont understand, she asked "You like Sweets?" I nodded and she bought me one! Cocounut candy with biscuit

If you frequent vietnam or familiar with the vietnam eating culture, you would know what is Nuoc Mam. Fish sauce to the common traveler, is one important bottle of seasoning to the vietnamese. They have it with almost everything rice, noodles, meat and vegetables. Like curry in india, kimchi in korea and sushi in japan, it has an acquired taste that takes some time to get used to. Fish sauce distilation factory
The smell there is so strong i had to get out after 5minutes
Fish sauce in Phu Quoc is very famous
Thanks to its fleet of fishing boats
I rented a motorcycle and went to do some exploring
Shell collector?
The world is huge!
Saw a wedding and decided to follow them :D
Cheese!!
Happy couple
Ice cream by the beach
And i have the beach all to myself
Phu Quoc is famous for their beaches so i went to another beach
Nice stretch of clean water

Audrey is going to be excited to hear this.

I WENT DIVING FOR THE FIRST TIME!

It started off like this, i wanted to do some water activities in Phu Quoc and snorkling was my intended activity. After chatting with the guys at the dive shop, they actually persuaded me to do diving instead by giving me a big discount and throwing in the snorkling gears as well. So instead of US$20 for snorkling, i paid a discounted US$40 for 1 dive with a dive master and snorkling for the 2nd stop. Included is transportation, boat, lunch, fruits and coffee on board.The only picture i took of the passing boat. Was too sick to take more

The ride there was super super shaky. I had sea sick 5mins after getting on board. During the dive and snorkling was fine. But i had to miss the sumptuous seafood lunch and kept puking. To make myself feel better, i opted to sit on the deck instead of indoors.

Amazingly i fell asleep and ended up with a very dark tan! HAHA 2 weeks later, i am peeling like a snake.