River livin'

One of the biggest draws for tourists to the Mekong Delta is a visit to the floating markets. Having visited some in Thailand that turned out to be geared solely for tourists, I was hesitant to do another such tour here. However, I’m so glad I did! The markets here are about as authentic as you can get. There were very few tourists floating about and it really felt like you were getting a peek into the daily lives of the locals. Laundry hanging out to dry, produce exchanging hands, all as the sun was rising.

We spent about 8 hours on the river, setting out at 5:30 a.m., with a few stops to check out some rice paddies and have lunch. Our boat driver was kind enough to offer us plenty of fresh fruit along the way - pineapple, papaya, and pomelo. I shared the ride with a Dutch couple who are three months into their trip. Like me, they bought a one-way ticket and aren't quite sure when they'll return home. We also met a woman from England who's been traveling for 9 1/2 months... solo. Impressive. Traveling alone is cool, but I don't think I could do it for that long. I wasn't sure if I'd feel sad about ending my trip, but as the end nears I'm definitely getting more and more excited to go home. It's time.




Our boat driver multi-tasks - steering the boat and making art out of palm fronds.


This is how people advertise what they're selling - they hang one of each of the fruits and vegetables they have from a pole on their boat.