Cruising along the Mekong Delta and village homestay

---

Day 12 - Today we left the dazzling lights and bars of Saigon and headed for the more sedate and tranquil Mekong Delta known as "the rice bowl" of Vietnam. To reach our homestay in Cai Be we hopped on board our river boat and stopped along the way to see some small cottage industries including the making of rice paper and coconut candy and of course got to sample some of the local produce. The woman making the rice paper had three pans on the go and had to have excellent hand eye coordination and timing as it took 15 seconds to make each one. A real skill and one that she got paid per sheet, producing over 3000 a day! Back breaking, exhausting work.

The highlight of the day was a canoe boat ride. It was very relaxing and I enjoyed sitting and watching the world go by as we travelled slowly through a network of rivers. A moment of peace and stillness and an escape from our busy, hectic Western lives. Will definitely try to remember this feeling when I am back at work!

A quick stop at a garden centre to taste some fresh fruits from the region including the wonderful and delicious dragon fruit before we headed to our homestay. It was much more luxurious than I imagined and must admit I was the only one who was hoping for something a little more rustic! It was like a basic b&b with three beds to a room, an ensuite, mosquito nets and ceiling fans.

After a brief walk around the village being greeted by the locals we enjoyed a home cooked meal and some evening entertainment of local singers. I did get the giggles as they were really enjoying the performance and were obviously proud to share their heritage with us. A highlight of the week!

Day 13 - our last full day! Can't believe how quickly the time has passed but also how much I have done and seen in the last 12 days. Hanoi seems a lifetime away.

This morning we enjoyed a lovely cruise back along the river to the floating markers at Cai Be catching the coach back to our hotel in Ho Chi Minh city. In the afternoon my new friends - Tammy, Steve, Charleen, Dianne and I headed for lunch at the Bitexco Financial tower; a trip to the market and a stop for ice cream. We then got caught in the mother of all rainstorms on our way back to the hotel. Refreshing at first but then we were soaked through!

In the evening a few of use went to see the famous Water Puppet Show. A bit disappointing but so bad it was actually funny! Our last meal at the Lemongrass was delicious with excellent views of the city. After we said goodbye to our guide we headed back to the bar at the Bitexco Tower for a cocktail, then to the Caravelle and finally danced the night away at the Sheraton. Perfect!

Day 14 - Finally blue sky. Tammy and I decided to catch some sun for the morning before a quick trip to the air conditioned shopping centre for lunch and ice cream before catching our flight home via Kuala Lumpur.

A fantastic holiday with a great group of people and a wonderful way to spend my Easter holidays! Good night Vietnam!

---