The Passage to Vietnam

VIETNAM

19.12.2004

The Journey

After sorting out visas we jumped on the boat for a river entry to Vietnam south along the Meekong River. What better way than to cruise down the infamous shipping route through South East Aisa.

The journey was smooth with us arriving, unruffled, in Chau Doc on the Vietnamese side of the border. We spent the night there and arranged a small tour to Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) with a stop or two along the way. We had one night at a homestay in a small village called Phong Dien. Here we got an instant taste of Vietnamese life. Fresh coconuts were swiped from overhead trees and cut open for our growing thirsts. We took a tour around the village and watch a local family making mats, along with loads of other crafts. Then a river cruise to see the floating market, a market like no other I've ever seen!

Popped into an incence factory in My Tho. Next stop was a Baonsai garden, which had a mini-zoo side show. A monkey had devised an exit from his cage and escaped at will, only to return when his mischief had finished. Check out this cheeky picture...



Finally it was on the bus all the way to Ho Chi Minh. We got accomodation and headed out for food. Exhausted. But loving the feel of being in yet another 'new' country.