The Mekong Delta, Vietnam

We decided we needed to go to the Mekong Delta as we were so close to it in Saigon….
So we arranged a private trip through the Saigon Continental Hotel…..they told us that their Mekong travel agency was one of the best in Saigon……and indeed everything went very smoothly!

We arrived in Cai Be and were boated around in our sampan to see the floating market…...

Each vendor puts up a bamboo pole displaying what they have for sale.  There didn't seem to be too much choice…… or we were a little late in arriving!

We then crossed the Mekong to transfer into a smaller boat to go through some of the adjacent canals. The transfer into the much smaller boat was an interesting experience!!

 But the muddy water made us very reluctant to fall in!!

We were told that in this area during the Vietnam war the women took these boats, filled with food, by night to the Viet Cong… and during the day the boats were overturned in the canals to avoid detection by the US……

our oarswoman would certainly have been capable of doing so!

Then on to see some rice paper being made……

then some popcorn……

…..we then toured around a little …...watching people fishing

....and unloading goods…….

…en route to going to an old wooden house, Ba Kiet Ancient House (built in 1838), for lunch…

…we were intrigued by the washbasin in the middle of the outdoor tables…….

……and we were presented with a fish from their tank for lunch….

…..hopefully not this one's mate…..