Monday we arranged for a guided tour of the Mekong Delta. It
was a wonderful excursion. It was just the five of us plus a guide and driver
in a van. The two hour drive from Saigon to Cai Be, which passed through
emerald green rice fields dotted with sarcophagi (above ground tombs), was made
all the more interesting because of the many Saigoners who were loaded up on
their motorcycles to return home for Tet (New Year). The road was jam packed
with scooters heavily laden with 1-4 passengers with luggage and gifts tucked
in-between. Tet is the one time during the year for many workers in Vietnam
when they get a week off from work. It
reminded me of pre-Thanksgiving or Christmas travel in the US or returning home
(mudik) in Indonesia for family
gatherings at the end of Ramadan.
We boarded a long boat that took us through the waterways of
Cai Be. Our first stop was a water side complex that highlighted local food
production. We saw how rice wine was made, how rice wine can be flavored by
adding snake carcasses, scorpions or fruits, how rice paper (for delicious
spring rolls) is made, how rice is puffed, and how grated coconut is turned
into candy and caramels. Then we got to sample some of these treats including
some jasmine herb tea.
We then passed through a floating market where boasts were
laden with fruits and vegetables for sale. Then as we crossed out into one of
the Mekong’s nine main distributaries (called the nine dragons) the kids all
got a turn at driving the boat. We then boarded two smaller paddle boats (like
gondolas in Venice), donned protective Vietnamese cone shaped hats and then
cruised through the canals of one of the many Mekong islands. The water was
more than six feet lower than the high water marks of docks and roots. When I
asked the guide if this was just the result of it being the dry season he
explain that the water level is lower that usual this time of year and he
explained that dams upstream in China are the cause.
After our island canal float we walked a path through many
fruit gardens—the main product of the island. I was in heaven. We saw durian
blossoms and ripening durian fruit (this fruit smells to high heavens and is
either loved or hated), papaya, jack fruit, red guava, longan, banana, and
bread fruit. We then stopped at a patio of one of the farm houses to sample
some of the local fruits. Yum!
We then boarded our original boat to traverse another Mekong
channel to another island where we had a delicious lunch of grilled elephant
ear fish (from the river) that was then rolled along with basil, lettuce and
cucumber in rice paper to make a delicious spring roll. We all liked it. This
was followed by rice with curry and stir fry and then pineapple and jack fruit
for desert.
We then headed back to the van for the drive back to Saigon.
Our guide was uncertain how holiday traffic would be so our day in the delta
was a bit abbreviated from most tours to ensure we had enough time to be back
on board well before the 18:00 deadline. We lucked out with very light
traffic—everyone was headed out of the city not to it. Our only delay was being
pulled over by a motorcycle cop. The driver knew exactly why—the cop wanted
some money for new year’s, which he got. Corruption knows no boundaries.
Back in town we passed a government billboard that looked to
me like it was Spratly Island related. We were just a few blocks from our port
berth and so I set out with my camera. Next day in class, my Vietnamese student
confirmed what I suspected. The woman’s heart are the Spratly islands—with oil
derricks and protective ships and sailors to defend them (from the Chinese).
Good stuff for my classes.
The plan was to set sail early the next morning, but strong
river currents delayed our departure until 11:00. After my 11:00 class and
lunch I head up to the very windy top fore deck to watch the remainder of our
four hour sail down the Saigon River. It was a busy day. We passed two
container ships along the way. More than once I wondered if passing big ships would
collide or if small fishing boats would be plowed under, but no collisions
happened. At one point the ship’s photographer mentioned that it sounded like
we were passing a bird preserve. I could hear the birds but not see them. Then
further down stream I noticed tall cement buildings with no doors and only tine
openings. I wondered what they were. Then I heard the bird sounds and remembered
once reading about such structures built for swift birds to build their nests
of saliva These nest are then gathered and sold for use in traditional Chinese
medicine and in expensive bird’s nest soup. Once upon a time these nests were
only harvested from large caves in Borneo, but increasing demand has led to
innovative ideas and new jobs for Vietnamese villagers.
That night there was a nice sunset on the South China Sea
followed by the bedtime appearance of dozen of fishing boats.
