Mekong Cruise - Day 3

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This morning we were woken up 6.00am-ish by notifications coming through to our phones about Preston LXRP works on Cramer Street tomorrow (Tuesday). Hmmn, perhaps we should unsubscribe from the level crossing removal project notifications while we are on holidays? Not to worry, since I was awake I decided that I WOULD wash my hair this morning!! Besides which we needed to make sure we breakfasted earlier this morning with our excursion for today occurring before lunch.

The sampans arrived before 8.30am to whisk us across the river to a fish farm where we learnt about rearing the fish. It is a long process, taking about about nine months to grow the fish to marketable size. It sure is smelly though. The pong of the fish and rice food that they make up for them onsite was almost gag worthy when we first set foot on the farming platform. Fortunately our noses became deadened to the smell fairly quickly and we were able to concentrate on all of the information we were being told rather than the stench! Also fortunate was that when it was our turn to feed the fish and stir them up into a feeding frenzy, we did so with pelletised food rather than them turning on the dispenser to pump the wet slurry into their pen.

With water levels very high our next stop was compromised. A new access point has been organised though – but it goes through someone’s house! It felt very intrusive being taken through a family’s back door and then through their house before going out their front door and into the street. Hopefully the family is being compensated for the inconvenience.

In Tan Chau now, we walked along the street to the Taoist Temple. The deity’s/saint’s statues depicted here all looked very fierce! Inside the temple we were given the opportunity to have our fortunes read by one of the monks. This involved quite a process. First we had to drop yin and yang ‘pebbles’ until we achieved a yin and yang pairing to make sure we were spiritually balanced. We were both well balanced achieving a yin/yang drop the first time.

With our spiritual balance achieved we then had to shake a cylinder of joss sticks to shake free a numbered stick. We then had to select the corresponding ‘fortune’ card from a numbered slot on the wall. With our card in hand, we then had to wait for it to be interpreted by the monk who just looked like an old bloke smoking a cigarette! Rather disappointingly he was not dressed in monk-like robes. Our fortune was then translated for us by our guide.

Eventually, it was our turn to have a fortune’s read and we both asked about the future for our health. The monk barely looked at Bernie’s card before (allegedly) declaring him to be very healthy and advising him to drink more beer!! He then studied mine in great detail. In fact he studied mine for so long I was getting quite worried. Finally, our guide told me that the monk had said my health is only fair at the moment, but I can expect my health to improve in the New Year. Hmmn, not quite the same robust health endorsement that Bernie received.

After the temple we returned to the sampan to travel a short distance to our next stop. Once on shore again we boarded Xi Loi – sort of like troop carriers behind motorbikes. These vehicles took us to some farming land where we were able to see the locals working in their fields while our guide explained the crops that they are growing. In these particular fields they were growing two varieties of onion and herbs.

As we walked back to the street we walked past a disgusting looking pot of something cooking over a small outdoor hearth. It honestly looked like a pot of something that you would find boiling away at Rotorua. It certainly did not look appetizing or edible!! It turned out to be a big pot of fish sauce being cooked up.

We climbed back into the Xi Loi which returned us to our starting point where we completed a couple of circuits around the village before finding our sampan. Usually the sampan drops the guests off at one point and picks them up from another but, with the water level particularly high at the moment, our collection point was the same as our drop of point - a fact our guide only learnt after he had already walked us past that path. I joked that we seemed to be walking around in a circle, but it turned out I was actually correct. It was going past the mats of betel nuts drying in the sun for the second time that gave it away!!

We clambered back onto the sampan for the last time for this excursion and motored back towards the Bassac Pandaw. On our way we stopped to release fish into the Mekong to earn merit. I thought we were going to have to pick the fish up in our bare hands so I was relieved that our guide was scooping them from the bucket into a sieve and then passing the sieve to us allowing us to return the fish to the river without handling them. We were encouraged to say our name and make a wish as we gave these fish their freedom. With any luck they may live longer than nine months in the wild … and produce baby fish of their own.

This afternoon was spent eating - another delicious three course lunch – taking a tour of the boat and attending a fruit carving and rice paper roll making demonstration. We were also able to sample some tropical fruits, including a durian. Honestly, people make so much fuss about durians. When I smelled it I realised that I have smelled it before, I just didn’t realise it was durian because it was nowhere near as disgusting as I have always been led to believe. Unusual, yes, unbearable, not really. Able to stomach the smell I got really game and tried a little bit. Hmmn, again, different, unusual, but not revolting BUT … I wouldn’t rush to have it again.

Cocktail Hour rolled around with red-coloured Mai Tais on the cocktail menu tonight. Pretty soon those partaking of cocktails will have drunk a rainbow. So far they’ve done blue, green and red. Our briefing for tomorrow was a little complicated with quite a few people leaving the boat in Phnomh Penh. This brought forward the border formalities to 7.00-7.30am rather than the usual 9.00am. The purser apologized profusely for interrupting our holiday with such an early start, but we all reassured him that it wouldn’t be a problem.



Steps for the day: 5,858 (3.82km)

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Photos

Shaking out our joss sticks
Photo credit: Catherine Gatt

Comments

[Janet Morrison]

Fascinating images
Well you are all having some very unique experiences on your trip and getting up close and personal with the locals. What an adventure! I hope your health is good now and no more issues as you continue to explore. Your photos are amazing as always. Some parts of Shepparton are currently looking like the Mekong River, but fortunately the 5 family households have not had their house interiors flooded, just isolated. Mum finally had a visit from her granddaughter Kim yesterday, who was able to cycle to her home and check on her and other neighbours. Mum shed tears of relief as she has been very frightened, just her cat Muffy for company, and of course many phone calls from concerned family and friends. Some of the family have been able to keep in contact with each other by kayaking around the neighbourhoods. My brother Rick filmed a huge carp swimming in the street outside his home the other day, the area being a huge extension of the Goulburn River. It is amazing to think that many people along the Mekong and other rivers live like that all of the time, surrounded by water. Do many of them battle with flooding constantly or are they elevated enough to withstand changes of levels? I will continue to follow your stories with fascination as always. Love Janet

[Trabern]

Glad all of your family are safe
It certainly sounds as if the flooding around Shepparton has been scary. It is good that Kim finally managed to reach your Mum to provide here with some company and reassurance. I think the people who live on the Mekong are accustomed to being inundated each wet season. Some, but not all, build on stilts to try to deal with seasonal high waters. Another FB friend posted that her 91-year-old mother was evacuated by the SES from her home in Echuca over the weekend. Mandy then faced a 14 hour round trip to drive up to the evacuation centre in Echuca and bring her mother back to Melbourne to stay with her. Worrying times for many. 💜T

[RENanDREW]

Melbourne / Preston
It's quite funny being immersed in your southeast Asian blogs and reading something about Preston! I grew up in Thornbury/Northcote and Mum uses that Cramer St crossing frequently when visiting the Preston Market. Small world :)

[Trabern]

LXRP
Ha, ha, you would find the area around Thornbury/Preston different to get around now with level crossings removed at Oakover Road, Bell Street, Cramer Street and Murray Road. We now have sky rail from just north of Thornbury Station until just south of Regent Station.