I arrived safely in Ho Chi Minh City, with my traveling buddy Mike, late Monday night. It was one long flight – Roanoke to Chicago, Chicago to Hong Kong, Hong Kong to HCMC. All in all, about 30 hours of traveling. Our driver was at the airport to meet us, placard in hand with my name on it, and we were whisked away to the hotel.
That first night was a little rough trying to get acquainted with the time zone. Even after going to bed after midnight, we both woke up around 3am and then on and off until 6am. Finally, we just decided to get up and explore the area around the hotel. I was surprised to see how many people were already busy setting up shop on the street. The “wet market” is just around the corner. This is a huge market place where morning fish, seafood, and meat are brought in and slaughtered/prepared for customers. It is quite a sight! And there are also flowers, fruits, and some household goods. This young lady is preparing snakes – delicious!
Once we finished exploring, we made our way back to the hotel to eat breakfast. We had arranged for a private tour of the Mekong Delta region that would take more of the day. Our tour guide, Ha Dang, arrived promptly at 8am, we climbed into a nice air conditioned van and started the 75 minute drive to the countryside outside of Saigon.
The next 6 hours would be an amazing journey through the villages, jungles, rivers, and lives of some of the most generous and humble people I’ve met. The poverty is overwhelming but it doesn’t damper their spirit or their hospitality! We visited a small village where they make candy from coconuts and wine from almost everything (including the samples I had of banana, coconut, and snake!).
Once we started down the Mekong River, our boat driver thought it would be a good idea – not sure why – to let me steer for a while through the wide open areas. I gladly jumped behind the wheel and had a little fun.
And when not steering the boat, one of the best seats was right on the bow – great view of the river and the sights surrounding it including fish farms, floating markets, house boats, and more.
While back in the villages, Mike and I share a little magic with lots of the village people. It’s simply amazing how magic can transcend language barriers and bring smiles to the faces of children and adults. Literally, from village to village with shared a trick or tour and listened to people laugh and scream “HOW?”
While traveling through the region on a motorized tuk tuk, Dang decided to stop along the way to take us up on our wish to sample one of the most talked-about fruits of the area, Durian. There’s no easy way to explain this fruit. It’s very spiky on the outside and the odor is…..horrible. Dang talked to an older woman for several minutes before finally settling on a particular “melon” for us to try. Using a small machete, she cut it open and the pungent odor just took over. Inside were two or three pieces of bright yellow fruit. The goal – or challenge – was to get the fruit to your mouth without losing your lunch! It proved to be quite nice – a creamy, chewy, texture that’s sweet like ice cream.
We continued through the jungles until we arrived at another small village. This is where we would stop for a meal. Picture a large deck, covered with palm branches, in the middle of the water surrounded by the jungle – paradise! We sampled lots of traditional Vietnamese food including a local favorite, elephant ear fish.
Toward the end of the afternoon, we made our way back to Saigon. Our adventure for the day was not quite complete. After spending 8 hours in the Mekong, we made our way through the main streets of the city and walked to the Saigon River. We had booked a buffet dinner cruise that would take us around the city and let us experience some Vietnamese entertainment – traditional dance, music, and even a little magic.
It is morning here now. We leave at 9am to catch our flight to Siem Reap, Cambodia….more later.