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The morning came all too early again, at least I got a good 6 hours of sleep last night 😉
I booked another tour through my hotel since the company and guide was very enjoyable on the other tour. I decided to just do a one day tour in the Mekong River Delta, as I only have a week left and am dreaming of some beach time.
Got on the bus at the hotel around 7:20am and it was a good 2 or so hour drive to where we boarded the first boat. There are several islands and itineraries (including one with a homestay that looked fun) to chose from in the delta, but I picked the one that included a coconut candy shop, honey 'farm' and tasting, and tropical fruits snack and local music performance, as well as a local lunch on one of the islands with free time for biking.
My main company on this group ended up being a Singapore couple (who had just moved back after years in London) and an Irish guy who was doing the three day tour.
We had to change boats a few times, and the best was a little segment
through narrow canals paddled by locals through the dense palm cover. It was really great and I think I got some good shots. We had to change boats a few times because the further you go, the smaller the boats must be to get around.
Finally got to taste some of that liquor that's got snakes and scorpions floating in it (it tastes like it looks if anyone can imagine that) as well as the coconut candies that make at the shop. They were quite tasty, with a soft taffy texture (fresh). So if anyone catches me soon enough after I return, I will have some left to share 😊
Even with the snack stops along the way, everyone was quite hungry by lunch time (around 1pm). It was included in my $9 tour and suprisingly tasty. It was pork, vegetables, soup, and rice, but I opted for the vegetarian replacement (I've had a slightly upset stomach on several occasions after eating meat in the countryside of developing countries). Several people commented mine looked better than the meat dishes, and I think it probably tasted better too. From there, we had free time. I was toying with the idea
of taking the boat route home (2.5 hours on a high-speed boat seating about 15). But it cost $14 USD extra. The guide came up to me later and said I could go for $10 as someone had booked and canceled after paying (I presume he pocketed the $10, which was fine by me). So I went ahead and did that.
There were bikes by where we ate that we could take for a ride for free (included). I didn't want to go alone for fear of getting lost or hurt. Aside from having not been on a bike since I was something like 12, I was having an especially klutzy day, having tripped on the paths and getting on the boats, bumped my head three time on the bus (on the same bar), dropped my camera just as many times (thank you Olympus for making me a klutz-proof camera-the Stylus Tough is the only way for someone like me to go). Anyways, after all that I could just imagine myself landing me and a bike in a ditch or canal, being knocked out until late evening. Anyways, I was quite happy when the Irish guy finally decided to
go with me. When I expressed my concerns over having not ridden in so long, I got a classic reply: "You'll be fine! It' s just like... well... it's riding a bike!" And it was! I almost plunged head over handrails into the first stream we had to cross a bridge over, but after that, it was.... comical. I was being laughed at most the way, as I could not manage to keep myself in a straight path, and was subsequently jerking and swerving everywhere. I thought it was the gravel paths we were on, but when it opened up to paved road, I realized it was just me 😉 I was very concerned to get nailed by a passing motorcycle or ass-drawn carriage, as I was often caught off-guard swerving to get back on path without knowing what was coming up behind me.
Anyways, I lived. It was wonderful. I want to do it again. It was hot (it is Vietnam in summer) but many of the paths were shaded by dense palms and the speed at which we moved gave us a nice breeze in the face. We were only gone 30 minutes (fear of getting lost if
we made more than 5 turns) and my bum was already a little sore (the bouncing gravel paths likely didn't help). So, I will definitely ride again soon, but not in traffic (since I can't keep straight) and not for more than an hour a day until I'm used to it again.
We got back with about an hour of hammock time to spare 😊 I then went and boarded the boat for the return trip, which after almost an hour on the water turned insane. A storm came in and the water went from just slightly choppy to resembling a sea in a squall. water was pouring in around the window cracks, and the driver was struggling to see through his fogged up window with broken wiper. We went almost fully airborne of a wave before they pulled into an inlet to wait for it to let up a little. It turned into a 3 or so hour trip back, but after the rain started to let up, it was wonderfully cool (almost cold at one point) cruising along the river.
I fell asleep as my bum was going numb and woke up as we were entering
Saigon River at sunset.
It was a lovely (though tiring) day with another funny guide and good company. I got back to my hotel and booked the open bus ticket for tomorrow to Mui Ne. My ticket was $23 USD and takes me from here to Mui Ne, Mui Ne to Dalat, and Dalat to Nha Trang. From there I'll take the train to Hanoi and fly to Beijing after one more day with Anh 😊
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Ammers
Amber Hanna
just like riding a bike!
Ha ha! The story of your bike adventure was very entertaining! Always brave Liz!