Mekong Delta

Another early start with at least a 4 hour bus ride. We made a coffee stop at a delightful place with lovely gardens and brilliant sunshine. Tiger Lady had told us there would be long delays at the ferry to take us to our boat so she had arranged to have a small boat standing by that would ferry us directly to our boat moored in the river. Leaving the bus in the bus station we had to follow her over rough ground, along a narrow path by the riverside, standing to one side at times to allow the locals to ride by on their scooters. The Liverpool trio were on a different boat to us due to the lack of rooms as as we boarded our boat they continued to join their boat. One of our group recognised the boat as the one used in Rick Steins recent cookery programme on TV.

Another delightful boat with a much better layout that the one in Halong Bay. Again the staff were very attentive and made us feel like VIPs, and of course the food just as delicious and plentiful. Will we ever stop eating!

We began our journey with lunch al fresco but with so much taking place along the river I found it hard to concentrate on eating. So many different kinds of boats and houses along the riverbank the scenery was forever changing. As the afternoon wore on we transferred to small boats carried on the back of ours and went up a tributary to visit a house where many of the local fruit trees were growing. Ducks and chickens were everywhere, the ducks being a little frightened at the site of so many people. As dusk began to fall we sat at large tables to sample the fruits and eat poppadoms with a coconut flavour and speckled with dragon fruit seeds. They were gorgeous. Our boatman was patiently waiting nearby for us so I took him a small sample to keep him going until it was time for us to leave. Back on board it was time for drinks and bowls of potato crisps and half an hour later dinner! Very relaxed atmosphere and so many courses it was well after 10pm before we finished. We all sat around noticing that the sister ship nearby was in complete darkness apart from its mooring lights. Keith and I had wandered to the front of the ship returning down the centre passageway where we saw a movement on the floor. As we got nearer we thought it was a gecko, no a small frog, no it was a baby bat that couldn't fly so I called it 'Orville'. Gardener Kate came to its rescue and put it on one of the sun beds which was now covered in insects. As we stood round it kept looking at us - such a cute little face with big ears. We left it to its own devises and retired for the night. We were departing our mooring at 5.30am and our cabin is next to the chain locker!

The chief engineer must have overslept as he didn't raise the anchor until 6.20. I was in the shower as we sailed past a large floating market which was a disappointment. However not long after breakfast we reached another and the point of our departure. Another smaller boat came to take us off and steer us through the many boats selling fruit and vegetables. We wondered how the people knew where to go but bamboo poles with the sellers particular produce helped the locals find the right boats. Children were pleased to shout hello and wave frantically to us. We laughed at the karoake and dancing by bored sailors on another large boat at 8 in the morning!

Time now to head back to rejoin our bus and return to Saigon for 2 more nights.