Chau Doc

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Chau Doc

Most Vietnamese bus stations seem to be some distance from the town centre and Chau Doc is no exception. Monk and Saavas caught a taxi to the Victoria Hotel, a seriously up-market place for Chau Doc, in the hope that they might be able to negotiate cut-price rooms for a couple of nights. No such luck - the hotel is in such demand that discounts are not necessary. They were treated to cold drinks while attempting to negotiate with the ever-so-polite booking manager who suggested another hotel a short distance from the centre of town. The Chau Pho hotel proved to be a good recommendation.

Chau Doc is a good stopover for a couple of nights. It has an excellent market, open all day until early evening, all claustrophobically jammed in to a few streets lining the river. There are a few very good restaurants especially the Bay Bong. Transport around town is very sedate using the 'cyclos' - a small carriage for one, sometimes two, pulled by a pedal bike - a dollar/20000 dong per person for any trip around town.

While having an early evening beer by the riverside, Monk and Saavas were approached by a man who followed the usual chat sequence - 'Where are you from ...'. Being polite, as ever, they chatted to him and, of course, it turned out that he was selling something - a tour. Vang was a bit different though - either a good salesman, an expert con-man or an honest, genuine tour guide. He turned out to be the latter. His photocopied flyers declare that if you're not happy with his trip, you don't need to pay him. Later that evening, they decided to take up Vang's offer of a tour and called him to book for the next day.

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