Mekon our way to "the Island"

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Monday- apparently you should "BOOK A TOUR" to and through the Mekon (from Saigon). Colette and i took this as merely tourist centres wanting us to indeed "book a tour". So we hunted down the local buses, squeezed ourselves into a small minivan filled with Vietnamese and about 5 hours later arrived in Cho Thou (? i am SO rubbish with remembering names). When we got there we got harassed by 'motorbike/ taxi/ etc" and we booked into a random hotel with a HUGE room, and a very proud owner who kept saying that he is "in the Lonely Planet". It was a tough day on the coach (well- i was in and out of sleep for most of it and trying to read my book my torch light). The day ended with some nice food along the river front vietnam style (plastic tables and chairs, chopsticks and soup).

Tuesday- We got up at 5am to get on the Mekon Delta tour. The silly hotel owner made us pay $15 each (which is the most we have paid for ANYTHING here). We had a small wooden boat with two long wooden padles and a small motor. We shared it with a German guy who put us to shame with his fluent English and he could even follow our converation. Our tour guide gave us pinaple, papaya, some other SOUR fruit. Pointed out all the fruit on the trees, water coconut, and got us RIGHT in to the floating market. we then stopped off at a riverside home and had lunch (well it was 11am but we were up at 5!). After that we left our boat buddies and made our way to the bus station to get a 3 hour minibus to Rach Gia. When we got to the bus station, our German friend was there!
- We keep bumping into people without planning it!
Then it POURED it down with rain. I was asleep most of this journey and Col had to keep pulling me off the man i was sitting next to as i fell onto him. Oops.

Wed- Today we walked around the slighly wealthier town of Rach Gia and i went into an office to see the architectural models of the new developments which are going on. Loads of fancy cars and white people in the brochure/ photoshopped images to sell the lifestyle away from scooters. Tommorrow we are getting the ferry to Phu Quoc. Beach resort here i come!

People are more friendly down here and we are one of a bout 3- 5 white people in each place we go (people often get TOURS to the mekon- see previous). Colette is like a goddess and everyone point and compares skin with hers. Although, as we learnt yesterday - you can get burned through cloud at 5 am. We have made a few buddies here but everyone seems to point and laugh at us. Like nearly falling off their scooters to look at the whities.

Went to the fish market and they were selling frogs tied together.
Also- saw LIVE pigs wrapped up and balanced on the back of a scooter.
Someone carried a FIRDGE on the back of their scooter.
Kids here are really friendly.
Theres alot of pastry shops here.

BIG LOVE.

p.s. this computer will not let me go on facebook.

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Comments

[Peter Mansi]

Hi from London
Great to see all your news and you're having a good time. Stay vigilant especially when you are alone from next week. I have documented your flight details so I know where and when you are. Keep keeping us informed x x love Dad x x x