I never really woke up on the morning of Wednesday, December 30, 2015, since my sickness the night before had kept me from sleeping. I knew today was going to be a rough day, but I was determined to soldier on. I still experienced intermittent stomach cramping, but I could walk and eat, so I was not about to miss our visit to the village of Tan Chau.
Mekong Sampan Ride
It was still a very warm day - the high was 89 degrees fahrenheit. We had another delicious on-board breakfast, and then boarded sampans at 8:30. Here we met our new guide—since we had crossed the border, we switched to a Vietnamese guide.
We noticed a few other boats anchored in this area. The
Amadara, and two other boats that I couldn't make out the name of. Perhaps the dark wood ship is from Avalon?
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| Amadara |
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| Unknown cruise ship |
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| Unknown cruise ship |
For about 15-20 minutes, our sampan cruised through a small tributary of the Mekong, inhabited by homes and farms on both sides. It was a nice way to observe the life of the locals.
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| Modern Vietnamese Mekong fishermen—they use electric shocks to stun catfish, and then scoop them up into the boat. |
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| Fishing with nets |
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| Living life on a boat |
Tan Chau Green Island Tour
Then we pulled off to the side, disembarked the sampan, and our guide walked us along a dirt path, through fields of crops grown both for sustenance and income. This area is referred to as the "Ever-Green Island."
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| Cutting flowers off turnip plants |
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| Speaking with one of the farmers, and seeing how peanuts grow under the surface. |
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| Cow dung laid out to dry—it will be used later for fertilizer |
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| Working in the pepper fields |
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| Banana flower |
The peanut farmer stayed with us for a bit as we strolled, because the next stop was his house! We met his family, toured the land and the structures, and learned more about how a rural South Vietnamese family lives. The kids were very talkative, and they were VERY impressed by Aaron's smart watch and iPhone.
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| Just hanging around |
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| Rose apple. A very tart fruit growing on a tree next to their house. |
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| Snack time! |
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| Aaron with some of the little boys, teaching them how to selfie |
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| Food prep area |
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| This is the kitchen, which is in a separate room/structure from the other part of the house. |
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| The fuel being burned in the stove is corn husks. They'll also burn dried pepper plants. Nothing is wasted. |
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| Soup's on! |
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| Free-range poultry |
Fish Market and Rattan Factory
After leaving the home, we hopped back on our sampan to do some more touring. The kids followed us, and waved goodbye. The next stop was a floating fish farm, where they raised 130,000 fish in the space of a small house.
And next, we disembarked the sampan for dry land and visited a rattan factory that made mats, baskets, and other textile products.
Xe Loi Ride Through Tan Chau
We strolled out the back entrance of the rattan factory via a dirt path, and found ourselves at a road where a small army of xe loi drivers greeted us. Xe Loi are traditional rickshaws for this area, and they were unlike any rickshaw or tuk tuk we'd encountered on this trip so far. They're bicycles that pull a little cart that is up at the level of the driver, and you hold on for dear life as they cycle you to your destination. Once I felt I had my balance, it was a really fun ride.
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| Aaron in the white shirt, and Anne, our eldest and most awesome cruiser, right up ahead of me. |
We rode down the main street of town for about 10-15 minutes, passing more sights of daily life on the Mekong. Children, shopkeepers, and even some wedding celebrations.
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| Hello! |
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| Standard mode of transport with a small child. Sometimes an older one will sit on the back. |
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| Wedding party |
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| Wedding ceremony |
Cao Dai Temple
Our destination was a Cao Dai temple. Cao Dai is a bit of mish-mash religion, taking bits and pieces from Hinduism, Catholicism, Buddhism, and Taoism. It's meant to be a unifying place of worship. Cao Dai is very popular in the Mekong.
As we exited the temple, we were treated to some gorgeous views of Tan Chau harbor.
Relaxing on the River Orchid
We returned to the River Orchid via sampan, and after a quick lunch I retreated to the stateroom to take a nap, since I was exhausted from lack of sleep and still not feeling quite well. Aaron participated in the afternoon activities, which included a tropical fruit carving and tasting demonstration. He brought a bit of durian down to the cabin for me to try. I woke up, tried it (it's not that bad ... tastes a bit like onion/garlic to me), and then rolled over and went back to sleep. I made sure to be awake for the afternoon lecture from our Vietnamese guides, though. They gave an informative presentation about live in Vietnam today.
Dinner, as always, was a highlight. For my starter, I chose grilled peppered squid. The other starter option was Gnoam Svay Kchei Trey Chhae - light spicy green mango salad, baby shrimp, and Cambogee ginger fish dipping sauce. I continued to appreciate the nod to local flavors on board the boat.
The soup was a cream of sweet corn, scented with coconut milk.
The entree I chose was wok pan sauteed tiger prawns, with thinly sliced bell peppers, sesame pok choi, cilantro, and white rice in a banana leaf cornet.
The gorgeous dessert was panna cotta with watermelon.
After dinner, we rolled ourselves back to our room (although we could have stayed up to catch the evening movie - The Lover). We found a lovely gift on our bed that now has a place of honor on living room mantle.
The next day would be our last on the Mekong River!
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