My Tho (23-25 Nov 12)

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Welcome to the Mekong Delta! Where I finally realised how downright cheap I was!

I'd read that you had to shop around to find the best deals for the boat tours that take you through a few of the smaller islands surrounding the town of My Tho where I arrived. Trying to sniff out the cheapest possible one, I went from tour desk to tour desk, and they all said that typically each group had to charter their own private boat, with prices ranging from about USD15 to USD40.

I thought that was expensive even at the low end (!), and at one point even considered trying to just blend in with a larger tour group, to go for a free ride! But my morals(?) and fear about being discovered got the better of me. Instead, I decided to ask a particular desk whether I could just join a smaller group for less. She gave a bit of a look (that "gosh you really are a cheap backpacker" face) and finally relented and said yes, for USD10 there was a couple I could join. But reminded me not to tell them I was paying less, cos they were paying USD15 each! (They turned out to be an elderly English couple who had retired in Spain, and who told me how expensive it was now to live in England, but that's another story).

Anyway, that was for a three hour boat ride plus tour through two of the surrounding islands, which turned out to be quite a packed itinerary, considering the price. Apart from the boat itself, the package included free honey tea, tropical fruit and coconut candy tasting, as well as a sampan ride through the smaller waterways, all narrated by a guide (in fact the woman manning the desk!).

The guide was quite informative and knowledgeable, so it turned out to be quite a pleasant half-day trip. I actually felt almost guilty about being such a stickler about the price, so I tipped the guide USD2. She must surely have not been expecting such 'generosity' from the miserly Asian solo backpacker, cos when she received it, she let out a bit of a surprised laugh tinged with irony. And who could blame her?

So that's My Tho, which almost daily sees whirlwind tourist day-trippers from Saigon, but otherwise almost completely reverts to being an ordinary Vietnamese town as the night falls, and as the last Westerner disappears and fades out of sight. The (dirty) markets, old shophouses, broken pavements, and almost complete lack of English in this riverside town reminded me a little of Pathein in Myanmar. Whatever the case, it was a nice break from the hustle and insanity of Saigon, and a nice introduction to the Mekong Delta.

Stayed at the Rang Dong Hotel.

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Photos

My Tho
Launchpad for every traveller's journey into Vietnam's Mekong Delta area.

My Tho
Can't help but think how this reminds me of Pathein in Myanmar, another relatively non-descript riverside small town.

Mekong Boats
Ready to ferry the hordes of day-trippers from Saigon through the surrounding islands.

My Tho Rice
Just a hint of why Vietnam is set to overtake Thailand this year as the world's largest exporter of rice...

Salting Fish
Presumably fresh(?) from the Mekong.

Rach Mieu Pier
Lotsa green stuff by the side.

Vietnamese in Action
Really no clue what they're up to...

Floating Fish Farms
Against the backdrop of the new bridge that connects My Tho to the islands.

Honey Man
On Unicorn Island.

Tropical Fruits Galore
The Vietnamese eat their fruit with salt mixed with chilli!

Sampan Ride
Through the waterways of Unicorn Island.

Coconut Candy Factory
On Ben Tre island.

Coconut Candy Factory
Each little candy piece is hand-cut by knife!