Blogs from Mekong River Delta, Vietnam, Asia - page 15

Sunday 29th September 2013 Early pick up, and a full bus on Highway 1 (or as Phong, our guide says, Lowway with elephant holes) 20min down the road and phone call to say someone was left behind so a little stop on side of highway while they caught up and bought the missing passenger. Off again. Couple of hours down to the Mekong delta. I have never seen so much water. The Upper Mekong river was crossed first. It is huge. Stopped in the provence of Ben Tre and visited a small family "farm". Had some fresh fruit and tea and was entertained by some Southern Vietnamese Folk music - very different, the musical instruments and the tune the singer sings doesn't seem to match, but entertaining none the less. Then a walk down to the ... read more

Phu Quoc is Vietnam’s largest island and a burgeoning center of tourism for the country. Lying in the Gulf of Thailand, it has a small population chiefly living in two towns: Duong Dong and An Thoi. Other than these two somnolent hubs, it is an island of thick forest and long beaches lined with tall coconut trees, the few roads occasionally lined with beach resorts, all of it providing a tranquil emptiness that was a whimsical reprieve from the Vietnamese mainland’s busyness. The peacefulness, however, is planned to end soon as the Vietnamese government is committed to turning Phu Quoc into the next Phuket, especially evidenced by some of the construction occurring. Happily, for the time-being, the island is still an escape. And it would have provided the perfect haven from our nearly-ending trip had it ... read more

FACES OF VIETNAM...HCMC & the Mekong Delta Actually. When one visits the land of a zillion mopeds...I understand there are more mopeds in Vietnam than any other country in the World...it stands to reason you cannot ask the zillion riders for prior permission to take their photos. And so I departed from usual practice when seeking portraits of those in helmets...those as pillions...those on mopeds...probably half the population. When one visits the Mekong Delta...those not on mopeds...are cruising or zipping along in boats of every shape & size...or abiding in rumpled stilted dwellings by the river bank. And so I departed from usual practice when seeking portraits of those on the Mekong...probably the other half of the population. But fortunately for me there were some members of the population that at the time I passed...were not ... read more

MISCHIEF ON THE MEKONG Part 3...Kidnapped & Extorted...The Polly Diaries. Two tom cats yowling into the night...a distant horn of a barge...a midnight knock on a door. The knocking repeated...louder this time...a man's voice wrenched out of deep sleep calling out "Who is it? Who is it?" Denise awoken in the next room..."That's Shane's voice?" A female voice "It's Housekeeping...please open the door." "What do you want?" "I want to see Polly." "Why?" "We have received a message in reception. Please open the door. I want to see if Polly is alright." There is a pause in the darkness. "She's not here" came Shane's pained reply. "Please open the door Sir...I can hear a voice...Who have you got in there?" "That's my friend Sheba." "Please open the door Sir...I want to see if Sheba is alright." ... read more

Jooo chicos, Vanaf nu draait alles rond water; vanuit Phnom Penh vertrokken met de 'speed'boot op de Mekong rivier richting Vietnam! En ook als je via t water gaat, passeer je de grens post. Ff aanmeren in de Cambodiaanse en daarna bij de Vietnamese paar honderd meter verderop. Strangely enough verzamelen ze alle paspoorten van de passagiers, verdwijnen ze daar even mee en geven die beke later terug. Beke onwennig om af te geven en beke grappig dat ze uw gezicht ni moeten zien bij de controle ;) smokkelen is ook geen probleem voor wie duistere ambities heeft, want uwe rugzak blijft onaangeraakt op de boot liggen ;) Daarna slaan we een zijrivier van de Mekong in en dobberen tot in Chau Doc, een stad aan het water. Kindjes zitten vrolijk in het water te spelen ... read more