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Published: August 10th 2015
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Day 21 Mekong
Up at 5.30am for the floating markets. We had breakfast then walked down to the pier with Huong our guide. Many tourists were waiting for boats, but like yesterday Lesley and i had a private boat to ourselves! Houng continued with the colourful stories of tigers, crocodiles and legends. We sailed for about 30 mins to the floating markets. It wasn't what I expected. I'd seen photos of people in little boats selling. All crowded next to each other. These boats were much larger and more spread out. Houng explained that they hang from their mast what they are selling, many were selling pineapples.
We moored up further down the river and stopped for tea and more fruit tasting. This time I ate a papaya that I've never had before which was ok, and a cross between a Durian and a Jack fruit, which was like mushy sick.
We then went to make noodle. Noodles are made from rice flour and tapioca flour. They are made pretty much like a large pancake. Left to dry then pushed through a machine to cut up into noodles. I made some and was asked if I wanted a
job there - not sure I'd have eaten them!
Back on the boat for another 30 minutes, we stopped and transferred to the car. We drove for 1.5 hours over very rocky terrain. Work men were building new roads. It made things very difficult for Lesley.
Stopped for lunch at a crocodile farm! Well why not try it ... So we had crocodile spring rolls ! I thought it tasted like pork, Lesley said beef. It was mixed wth herbs so it was hard to say. After lunch we walked around the farm. There were so many large and small crocs. It smelt terrible. We didn't go to the shop. They sold crocodile skin belts etc. Not on my list of acceptable goods.
Back to our own river boat. This time we were going to visit one of the floating houses. The area has over 1000 floating houses. They are incredibly expensive to build. We went to a house that had a fish farm underneath it. The family was very welcoming. You could see the fish from above. Lesley said they didn't have much room. To which our guide explained that they like being like that otherwise
they're lonely. I don't think that is the vase at all! We stopped off at a floating petrol station. Our driver didn't even turn his engine off to fill up!
We were them taken to a village inhabited by Cham people. They are an ethnic minority in Vietnam and are Muslims. We weren't really made to feel welcome. We watched a lady on a loom make some material and then walked to the mosque where again we were not welcomed. The village itself floods most years. The children were running around and playing in the river. What looked so strange was a villager getting into a boast with a designer YSL handbag!
Huong wanted to take us to a pagoda where the god they worshipped looked after the Vietnam and Cambodia border. It was a woman God. Really fat with a terrible nylon dress on! Apparently she changes it one a year. At this point Lesley and I were worn out. Houng and provided us with so much information we were on overload. When we saw the God in the dress and with flashing light - we couldn't look at each other as we wanted to laugh.
Huong checked is into the hotel. It's not as nice as last nights but it's still luxury. We'd decided we didn't want a night tour with Houng so we bid her goodnight. We popped over the road for a coffee and ice cream then back for showers then bed. Neither of us were hungry after crocodile for lunch!
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Rich
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Today's challenge... Lasso a crocodile using your noodles - I'll leave it with you... X ?