Saturday, May 24, 2008

Day 15 Mekong Delta






After sleeping on mosquito netted cots listening to the river boats all night we rose and prepared for the journey back to Saigon. After breakfast we boarded our boat to visit two more places before eventually returning to our bus. First we stopped at one of the biggest island nurseries to see the different types of plants available. We were able to see many different fruits growing. The owner’s family provided tea and fruit samples to try. We also had some of the owner’s own home brewed rice wine. When he heard us toasting, we are a noisy bunch, he decided to join us and brought more wine samples out. The man is 88 years old and looks like Uncle Ho himself (Ho Chi Minh). He allowed us to take his picture. We then made one last boat stop before the bus. We traveled to a local clay factory where anything from bricks to pots are made by hand with only the minimal amount of machinery and molds assist them. The kilns look like giant bee hives. Almost everything that required heat was fueled by rice husks or coconut shells. The Mekong River is very large. Our air conditioned bus was a welcome sight. Along the ride back to Ho Chi Minh City we enjoyed another wonderful roadside lunch. An early arrival to town allowed us to run out and do some last minute shopping. Tonight is our last dinner together. Tomorrow we head for Hong Kong and go our separate ways. Catherine

No comments: