Mekong, day one

This morning we left for the mekong delta. We took a boat to cai be to see how rice paper and coconut candy are made. There's a surprising number of flavors of rice paper that we never get in the west. The coconut candy is much like taffy but wrapped in very thin rice paper that you eat along with it. They served us lotus tea and samples of candy. We also got a chance to try snake wine, which is rice wine fermented with a cobra in it. It's really bitter...you can taste the snake!



After the candy demonstration, we took the boat across the mekong river to an island where we had lunch. This was also the place with the python. After lunch, some of the group went for a bike ride. Manuel, concha, and I opted out as we couldn't find bikes to fit us! Let's face it, I need child-sized! Manuel needs giant size! Instead we took a row boat down the river. While we were waiting for our colleagues, we walked around the town and met a wonderful old man. He told us about his life and wanted to know about us. He lived in the north and came south in 1954. His three children all work for the communist party in saigon, but he stays in the town because that is where his wife is buried. He asked me where my boyfriend was and I raised my arms and said I don't know, I don't have one! He then said that Manuel and I should get together, we would make a pretty couple. We both laughed, who knew I'd find a matchmaker in Vietnam!



We then made our way to the homestay and had a lovely dinner of local food, including beautifully fried elephant fish.....and of course more rice wine.



As I sit here finishing my post, I'm swinging on a hammock by the river with some jasmine tea while some of my travelmates teach our Vietnamese hosts how to play poker. There's a Christmas tree in the corner all lit up, the geccos are chirping above us, and we are all in good cheer..... Complete heaven!

Sent via BlackBerry from T-Mobile