The day after the new year celebrations, we all boarded a bus to the Mekong Delta. I had initially thought that we would be going to the floating markets, as I really wanted a photo of the wee ladies in their boats, with their wares and hats. Unfortunately, this was never part of the trip and due to Tet the markets wouldn't have been open anyway.
We did do a boat tour along the Mekong, and stopped at various places on the way. We got some fresh fruit and tea in the first place. This included things like jackfruit and pineapple with salt and chilli. Sounds disgusting, but I like balsamic vinegar and strawberries so it was a winner with me!
We were then treated to a musical performance by a local group. I was fascinated with the sound the instrument below produced. It is called a danbaulist, and it really difficult to play. I had a go, but I think if I hadn't been so rushed to get back to the boat I would have been quite happy to sit there all day with the fruit playing this.
The group was transferred into smaller boats, two to three of us in each. I already had my hat, and those who didn't were given the simple coned hats to enhance their experience. We paddled through the waterways, and it was very quiet. I kept worrying I would tip the boat over.
There were quite a few water coconuts growing along the banks, and we were told about the coconut religion of the area. The people here can use every element of the coconuts to make everyday objects and different food stuffs. Quite remarkable really.
The next stop was lunch, and the non veggies were treated to some elephant fish spring rolls with pineapple and spring onion. We also had a sour soup to help settle our tummies after the meal.
Once we arrived at our homestay the group went on a bike ride. I decided to sit that one out and mooch about the beautiful gardens.
After the last homestay, where we didn't really get to interact with our families, I was keen to get involved with this family. Mrs Mai, the lady of the house, was making the dinner for the whole group. Myself, Catherine, Cheryl, Angela and Jo decided to help her out by making the spring rolls. Julia joined us later on.
It was quite a lengthy process, and we were commended on our efforts for the veggie ones. The meat ones however were not good as we hadn't rolled them tight enough. They kept unfolding when put in the frying pan.
I really enjoyed this night, as Mrs Mai had me doing everything. Despite the fact she had little English, we got on really well. She also wanted me to try everything, and every time she walked past she would point at the food and gesture for me to eat it. Safe to say, I got a good feed that night.
The next morning we awoke in our mosquito nets to another hot day. Leaving early to get back to HCMC, I quickly ran around and took some more snaps of the garden.
Homestays are a great way to meet the locals and learn about their culture. It is also a great source of income for those families, and I was glad we visited Mrs Mai.
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