A Year In Indochina: Ben Tre by boat

I needn't have worried about getting heat stroke or sunburn; it rained all day. This began as we were driving past drowned paddy fields on the way to the Ben Tre province from Saigon. We arrived in a small town where we boarded a motor boat, sat on wicker seats beneath a tarpaulin roof that sagged with rainwater. All of the group of about fifteen were issued with disposable rain macs to wear for the journey, and we rode along the milky brown Mekong river with rain spitting off the sides of the boat onto our faces. Soon we turned off into a passage of river canals, which we cruised down, passing low green trees and wooden boats with eyes painted on the front, to scare off sea monsters. Our first stop was at a river-side shop and cafe to eat some fresh and dried fruit, drink hot tea and listen to a traditional music performance, a refreshing and relaxing break from the rain. Next we saw how coconut candy is made across Vietnam, at a small workshop. The milk is extracted from the coconut and heated until it has a caramel-like consistency. It is mixed with other ingredients such as peanuts or ginger and rolled out on a board, then cut into squares and packaged by hand in edible rice paper and a plain white paper wrapping. So simple, but a tasty treat. I tried a square of the peanut coconut candy, which was sweet, chewy and nutty. At this stop a sleeping snake was being kept in a cage, perhaps as a pet? I didn't get too close. We walked through this village to reach a road behind, from where we were transferred by motorcarts on a speedy, bumpy journey to another point on the river, where we were picked up by river boats to take us to our lunch stop. I was impressed by how well-timed this operation was! I also loved the sight of a beautiful little girl, three or four years old, sat cross-legged and silent at the back of one of the boats, while her mother steered. She was wearing a full-size conical hat and had a face like a china doll. I was given one of these hats to wear for the journey, but I doubt I looked as picturesque as she did.

Lunch was included in our ticket and was a buffet lunch in a riverside cafe that presumably operates solely for tourist excursion trips. We were each made a fresh spring roll at the table, using raw vegetables, mint, lemon-grass and fish and wrapped in clear rice paper. Then we helped ourselves to rice, meat, soup and vegetables. The food was very plain and I was feeling sorry for myself for being so sodden. The drizzly rain was relentless and by now my plastic rain mac was torn to shreds. To add to my woes, I saw a spider as big as my hand in the toilets, giving me a nasty fright!

It was a long, damp bus journey to the hotel in Can Tho, the largest city in the Mekong Delta. I was very pleased to have a twin room to myself in this very nice hotel, and thoroughly appreciated the chance to have a hot shower. The group re-joined for dinner, a buffet meal again, but nicer than lunch. We ate chicken salad, beef with green vegetables and a delicious caramelised fish dish. A particular Vietnamese woman on our table was very keen to look after everyone else, serving everyone's food and providing wet-wipes and toothpicks at the end of the meal, both at lunchtime and dinner. Tonight she produced a Moon Cake to share after we had eaten. This is a special cake to celebrate Moon Festival, which occurs this weekend. I had been keen to try this cake, as I had seen many that Jessica has received over the past week and has passed on to Thuy. But it was not the sweet sponge cake I had hoped for, oh no. When cut this small cake looks like a pork pie, and in the centre is a solid egg yolk (to represent the moon). The 'cake' is dense and tastes like durian fruit.

After dinner we took the minibus downtown. I thought we'd be going out to a bar together, but instead this was an hour's sightseeing opportunity and everyone went their own ways. I wandered around the town by myself, seeing the statue of Ho Chi Minh on the riverside and looking through the night markets, one selling cakes and toys for Moon Festival, and another selling clothing and footwear. I didn't venture too far, and soon returned to the riverside where couples sat together on benches. I didn't want to sit down myself though as I could see rats everywhere, scuttling in and out of the bushes.

Tomorrow we will be seeing the Cai Rang floating market. I have always wanted to see a floating market and am hoping for some colourful, vibrant photographs. That will rely on decent whether though, as proven by today's photos- all white-grey from the cloudy sky and rain!