Blogs from Mekong River Delta, Vietnam, Asia - page 83

Hi All, I'm currently in the Mekong Delta and here are the pictures from there. I only have 15min before meeting friends for dinner so this entry will be short. Will post more once I have more time (probably in Phou Quoc). ... read more

The journey to Vietnam was a fairly pleasant and suprisingly organised one. The decision to travel by slow-boat to Chau Doc in the Mekong delta, as opposed to a bus straight to Ho Chi Minh, was justified by a pretty pleasant and comfortable journey with nice views along the Mekong. Having already arranged our Visas the border crossing was straightforward and our guide didn't run off without us which makes a nice change. Chau Doc itself is a pleasant, albeit quiet, little border town with little of note apart from a colourful and busy market selling locally caught fish as well as every fruit and vegetable possible. First impressions of Vietnam were extremely good, particularly as the people seem so friendly. The first couple of times people spoke to me I was still on the defensive, ... read more

So yes, after more than ten days in Phnom Penh I have finally moved on. I decided not to go to Phu Quoc Island (in the south of Vietnam) which I don't think I'm regretting, but just to be sure I'm picturing the same rain that's outside right now also in Phu Quoc! Sophie and I decided to do a 3 day tour of the mekong delta. I'm sure it's not the best way to go if you really want to explore it thoroughly but I am feeling incredibly lazy and it's a nice change to have things planned for you! The tour is actually really well organized (and so cheap!) and the guides are so friendly and informative. There were just six of us coming to Chau Doc and we got along really well so ... read more

Note: During our first few days in Vietnam, we had a recurring argument over whether to write Vietnam as “Vietnam” (as Amy wanted to do) or Viet Nam (as Roger wanted to do). After much discussion, we agreed to look at five websites (US State Department, Expedia, Western Union, Britannica and Amnesty International) to determine how they wrote Vietnam and the best of five would win. Amy is happy to announce that all websites which use Vietnam (Amnesty International has no reference to Vietnam) write it “Vietnam” and so that is how we will be referring to it in our blog entries. Please feel free to write in and mock Roger for wanting to spell it “Viet Nam” (as the Mekong locals do). We know we have gotten really behind with our blog entries. We have ... read more

If Vietnam were a body, the Mekong River could be described as its blood. This important body of water provides so much to the people and their country's landscape. The Mekong Delta is located about 100 kilometres south of Ho Chi Minh City. It is a place teeming with activity (mind you, a much slower pace of activity when compared with Ho Chi Minh City for example) and life. Here, 38% of the country's rice crops are grown, and other crops such as sugar cane, and coconut palms can be seen. It is a place that is green, green, green, and where life revolves around the river: swimming, bathing, washing dishes and laundry...it's all done here! Alexis and I took a two day bus trip from Ho Chi Minh City to the Delta area. It was ... read more