Bikes, Bridges, and Boats

More photos of Mekong can be found at: http://picasaweb.google.com/robyou/MekongDelta7177222010?feat=directlink

Our four day biking excursion in the Mekong was so good, we decided to add a fifth day to the itinerary. With our dependable and good-natured guide Phat, and our friends Mike and Stefania, we were able to cover many miles on our sturdy mountain bikes. At times the sun was beating down, at others the rain was falling hard, but we always managed to reach our destination before dark. The delta is an extensive region of waterways, rice paddies, pineapple plantations, floating markets, and people. I had imagined a much more rural place, but the region is highly populated and bustling with all kinds of economic activity. One thing we really noticed during our month in Vietnam, traveling from north to south, was how food became cheaper the further south we went. I would assume this is a function of the productivity of the Mekong. It also seemed as if the people in the south were happier than their northern comrades. So it's time to say goodbye to Vietnam, and hello to our next destination Cambodia.

Steve

Robyn's Top Memories of the Mekong
- Ordering my coffee the same way every time, hot black coffee, no milk, no sugar, and getting a different result each instance.
- Finding out that the word for coconut, pineapple, and watermelon are virtually the same in Vietnamese (dua), but with different tonal variations. It still remains an enigma.
- I now know what it feels like to sit in a bike saddle for 4-6 hours a day, 4 days in a row!
- Eating in a local restaurant that also prepared snakes, rats, and frogs (of which we were sitting 4 ft away from their holding tanks). I ordered the fish.
- We were all really excited to stay at Phat's friend's house (a real home stay!) until it was time for bed and we found out that all 4 of us would be sleeping on the ground on thin straw mats under 1 mosquito net. We survived our cozy and uncomfortable foursome and had a good laugh in the morning!
- Hearing a chorus of 'Helloooooooos' and waves from every kid that we cycle pass.
- Watching Steve and Stefania go on a mosquito killing spree in our shared room a la Rambo-style, while Mike and I served as the mosquito bait.
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