Back when I was in ‘Nam

The Nautica spent a good portion of last week in Vietnam, and I had the chance to really take advantage of some of the tours offered there.  On Valentine’s Day, we docked in Ho Chi Minh City, formerly known as Saigon (Sigh-Gone).  It was 94 degrees on the southern coast of Vietnam when I boarded a coach to take us to the Mekong (Meh-kong) River.  The ride took us through the bustling city full of thin and tall buildings.  It is a government regulation that any residential building in Vietnamese cities can be built no larger than 12 feet wide by 60 feet deep.  In the streets, we were surrounded by scooters and motorcycles, some boasting up to 5 people AND groceries!  As we left the city scene, the streets became much quieter and our surroundings turned to farmland and rice patties.  Once we arrived to the Mekong Delta area, we passed through a market on our way to the junk boat.  I bought myself a Non La (Known-La), a traditional Vietnamese hat often worn my rice farmers.  It was only a dollar; everything in Vietnam is very inexpensive.  For example, our tour guide told us he pays the equivalent of 4 US dollars per month for satellite tv in his home.  Crazy.  Also, the exchange rate is one US Dollar = 21,000 Vietnamese Dong.  So basically, I’m a multimillionaire.

Anyway, we then boarded our Junk boat and sailed to Unicorn Island, where we were treated to a traditional lunch with some VERY unique dishes including Elephant Ear Fish…

Fresh Shrimp…

And “Dragon Eggs”, or sticky rice…

After lunch, we took a walk through the gardens before boarding small sampan boats for a ride through the canals.  In this area of Vietnam, neighborhoods are situated on the small canals, so instead of motor vehicles and roads they use sampans and canals for transportation.  And when I said “small canals” I really meant it.  For most of the 20 minute ride, the canal was no wider than 6-8 feet and the vegetation consistently hung low overhead.

At one point, we turned a bend and our guide said “duck”.  Immediately ahead of us was a footbridge crossing the canal, at an equal height to our shoulders!  She didn’t even slow down, so we quickly scrambled to double over as to save our necks, literally.  I managed to snap this picture to give you some sort of idea of how low this thing was:

Did I mention our sampan started taking on water during our journey?  Oh, well it did:

After our ride through the canals, we re-boarded our junk for another island where they made coconut candies, then to another where they served us exotic fruits and delicious local honey tea, and where we could do a bit of local handicrafts shopping.  Then, we got back on the junk to head back to mainland.  The evening ended with a trip to a local Buddhist temple before heading back to the ship:

Speaking of temples!  On February 19^th, we docked in Ha Long Bay.  Let me tell you, the weather in northern Vietnam this time of year is very different.  I bundled up as best I could to brave my outdoor tour to a local farm and Buddhist monastery in the wet 50 degree weather.  We first stopped to tour a local farmer’s property where we were served green tea and fresh fruits.  After the pit stop, we headed to the Truc Lam Giac Tam Zen Buddhist Monastery...and sorry, I don't know how that one's pronounced at all:

 While at the monastery, several monks guided us through a meditation.  These monks meditate three times a day, from 3:30am to 4:45am, from 1:30pm to 3pm, and from 7:30pm to 8:30pm.  I could never do that.  Most of the monks were also not here by personal choice or calling, but rather had their fate decided for them by their parents when they were young.  So, shout out to Mom and Dad for letting me choose my own path, which has so far turned out to be a really fulfilling and awesome one.

Check back tomorrow for an update on my escapades in Hong Kong!