Cai Be - Vinh Long - Can Tho

We decided to take a 2D1N weekend trip to the Mekong Delta to to develop a greater understanding and appreciation for the place. The Cai Be portion is like any other 1D trip to Mekong. Cruising on the motorized boats, lunch and visits to handicraft places etc.


Lunch venue

Traditional songs and music

Someone decided to be a model...

Baiting the buaya















Coconut-candy making













These 2 idiots - Empress Dowager & Mermaid - made life miserable for the rest in the bus. Noisy, inconsiderate, loud, domineering ... the epitome of the Ugly Tourist















We disembarked at Vinh Long and had some time to walk around and explore - a pretty small town with a main market. We set off for Can Tho - had to take a ferry across in order to reach Can Tho, rather time-consuming, esp the trip back where the ferry crossing took more than an hour. Can't wait for the Can Tho Bridge to be up, but because of the accident where 50 over workers died, the bridge project has been delayed.


Vinh Long Market












Seems like they only sell packet shampoo; it's everywhere












Walking the streets of Vinh Long












The crowd in the ferry














The ferry terminal












Can Tho is a bigger town than Vinh Long. The hotel was really basic - nothing like the budget hotels in Pham Ngu Lau. But for the price we pay Sinh Cafe, guess it's not fair to complain. And the coach was good and comfy, which made up for the basic accom. The life of the town is along the riverside and there are some nice restaurants there. The other parts of town seem rather quiet at night except for the Co-op Mart and the Maximart.


The ferry carrying vehicles and people










Our very basic room













Hoa Phuong Hotel - note : no elevators













The view from hotel, the orange building is Maximart













River side night scene - love that Uncle Ho statue












The next day, we visited the famous Cai Rang Floating Market but there was no guide to explain to us what was happening there - a disappointment (3 boats but 2 guides). It was lunch after that and then we had to make our way back to HCMC. A lot of time is spent travelling on the coach.


Can Tho Market - nice place to walk around











Cai Rang Floating Market













Bright pink eggs laid by some snails













Compare Sinh Cafe boats (left, of course) and Saigon Tourist boats (right)









Entrance to fruit orchard where we spent quite some time










Uncle Ho standing tall










Click on the photo to see the uncompleted Can Tho Bridge








The schedule goes like this :

0800 Depart on time for Cai Be, 120km away
1030 Reach Cai Be; Boat ride to see floating market
Landed to see coconut candy making, pop rice, handicrafts etc
1200 Long boat ride to lunch point
1245 Lunch
1340 Traditional music perf
1410 Depart lunch point for Vinh Long, 27 km away
1425 Reach Vinh Long; own time
1510 Depart for ferry point
1610 Reach ferry point
1645 Reach hotel; own time

0630 Simple basic buffet breakfast
0710 Depart hotel
0740 Boat ride to Cai Rang Floating Market
0900 Fruits Orchard
1015 Depart orchard
1030 Reach Rice-husking place (waste time)
1045 Go back to start point by boat
1100 Board bus for lunch point
1115 Lunch on your own
1220 Set off for ferry point
1230 Reach ferry point; jam
1410 Finally reach other side
1500 Passed Vinh Long Bridge
1530 Passed Cai Be
1825 Reach Sinh Cafe, HCMC

Bryan's Bike

Finally, after more than a month of agonizing wait, we brought that boy to buy his bike. Got his motorized bike at Vo Thi Sau for 7,150,00VND (about S$600) - looks like a baby replica of my Honda Fuma. So long as he's happy ... and he's gotten the hang of it quite quickly at the car park tonight.

Mdm Wan's Visit

Mdm Wan arrived in HCMC today with her daughter and a friend, Abby, from Hougang Sec. It's great to see her again - always a good feeling when we meet friends from home aka SG. Joyce will be bringing them for those woman things - pedi, mani, hair treatment, massage - that is supposed to make them ...er...beautiful.

Self-explanatory














After



















Dinner with some old, and new, friends on Fri, 13 Jun 08

Official Opening of Guide's Thai Food Outlet

Guide, our good friend from the Silver Elephant, had the official opening of his food outlet today. Named Thai Basil, the outlet is located at a cosy corner in the Food Court at Eden Mall (2nd level). Molly, our nice landlady, was our guest for dinner. Great food, as expected of Guide's standard. Am really glad for him and Andrew (his partner) that things moved so fast. Will be visiting Thai basil for more great Thai meals, and especially Thai Mango Sticky Rice dessert, our family's favourite.

Guide, me, Joyce, Molly and Andrew














Thai Basil @ Eden Mall














Guide writing the next day's menu

Dumpling Festival

Today is Dumpling Festival Day aka Dragon Boat Festival in Singapore, and here in VN, the locals celebrate it too, but for a different reason - insects!

Dumplings sold along Le Van Si Street


























Had this for lunch near Notre Dame.


Today is also another first for me as I took my first pillion rider, Joyce. It wasn't so bad, the balance was ok...much better than I expected (but I don't know about Joyce...lol).

Suoi Tien Theme Park

Went to Suoi Tien Theme Park (STTP) today - sometimes called Suoi Tien Cultural Park. STTP is the larger of two theme parks in HCMC, the other being not-so-well-kept Dam Sen Park. Both have modern and mythical themes to it and are rather similar. Dam Sen looks rather run down nowadays, so a better bet for the kids (and adults) would be STTP; the only setback being the distance and time taken to travel there. One can spend a whole day there - it can be quirky at times but it provides an interesting insight into how Vietnamese spend their leisure. Entrance fee is 35k (adults), 20k (kids) and you pay additional for the rides inside.

Click on both these maps for a close-up look


























It's been a year or so since I was last there. The new shopping centre/supermart VITIMART is up - really fast work. The park is being spruced up even as I write and there have been several upgrades since I last visited. Joyce wanted to have a look at the Southern Fruit Festival which is suppose to highlight VN's special fruits. It's a pretty long festival, lasting 3 months from 1 Jun 2008, and some of the fruits on sale there are really cheap. We were lucky to catch the "March of Giant Fruits", a colourful parade of giant fruits and mythical beings - a visual treat through somewhat tacky.

















We took a public bus (No 19) there (from Saigon Bus Station next to Ben Thanh) - cost us only 3,000VND per person. However, it took us 1hr 15min to get there and 1hr 30min to get back - tiring, esp the return journey. The last time I took a cab from there to town cost me 180,000VND - it'll can only cost more at today's petrol prices.

a sampling of artificial fruits
















































Golden Unicorn Mountain? That's what this place is called.














View from ferris wheel (15k/pax)














so-called the Octopus Ride - but where are the tentacles?














Looks of terror...



















Fruit Sculptures ... many were submitted for the competition














Note the English














Cheap rambutans



















Joyce with a monkey spiritual being - I really don't know what to call it















Parade of floats, mythical creatures & fairies ..."March of the Giant Fruits"














More participants of the procession



















hi there, piggy being














Giant fruits and waving fairies














more striped participants