Tags
Buddhism, Coconut Candy, food, Mekong Delta, Mekong River, My Tho, Photography, travel, Unicorn Island, Vietnam, Vĩnh Tràng Chùa
From Vĩnh Tràng Chùa My Tho, we drove the short distance to the Mekong River. We hopped on to our boat #38 and travelled across the river to Unicorn Island to spend time wandering and exploring. Unicorn Island appeared to be pretty substantial in its own right.
We stopped at the local markets, saw sting-less bees making honey which we tasted and then stopped for the most refreshing kumquat and honey tea.
It was then a long walk to where we stopped for a short rest, enjoyed many of the local fruits and entertainment and listened to traditional Vietnamese music.
From here we walked in to the centre of the island where we took boats up the stream through the mangroves and jungle. I have never been to the Amazon Jungle but the thought of it crossed my mind as we were making our way along this very narrow river through thick dense forest like trees.
We stopped at a coconut processing workshop. The busy ladies there will not be disturbed as we watched their fast hands get the most out of a coconut. You have no idea how much can be produced from a coconut, from oil, water, candy to cosmetics. Every part of the coconut is valuable and nothing goes to waste. We tasted the coconut candy which was really sweet and 100% natural.
After this I tried the local snake wine which reminded me of some grappa that I have had after a meal when in Italy.
From here we headed off to a very large outdoor restaurant to enjoy a typical Vietnamese lunch which consisted of whole fish, pancakes, sticky rice balls, soup, spring rolls, green vegies and watermelon to finish off. Wine and beer was available which many of us indulged in.
The Mekong Delta in southern Vietnam is a vast maze of rivers, swamps and islands, home to floating markets, Khmer pagodas and villages surrounded by rice paddies. Boats are the main means of transportation
My trip on the Mekong Delta was a great way to enjoy a day away from the hustle and bustle of the city.
Travelling by boat was a wonderful way to see the sights from the water
