Mekong Delta – The My Tho Islands

August 02, 2016

Exploring the Mekong Delta

It is early morning. We board a private wooden motor boat and make our way through the Mekong Delta. Tropical fruit and flowers are peppered on small islands among what is the “rice basket”of the world.

Fishermen greet us and continue their work while we pass through narrow creeks. Stilt houses are along the banks where women come down to wash their clothes in the river. I find impressive how resourceful they are. I cannot help but imagine how wonderful would be to escape the modern world to live in such simplicity.

Mekong Delta River and Coconut Forest

Thoi Son Island

When we get off the boat, we make our way to a small coconut candy village. The villagers are preparing various coconut delicacies. Our guide then explains the different stages of preparation. We set down near some local musicians and enjoy live music while tasting the fresh coconut sweets offered to us. Next, we continue to a fruit farm. My guide points out the mangoes, durian(or stinky fruit), dragon fruit, bananas and rambutans trees all around. We sit down in some shade. The young lady brings us some fresh fruit to try. Pineapple, mango, and jackfruit are in a colorful arrangement.

We then cycled a short distance on the island to a bee farm. I feel a little uneasy. But then I see a small boy trudging along without a care in the world. Well, you know what they say, if you can’t beat em, join em! Life in the Mekong Delta is simple because the villagers are mostly self-sufficient.

A warm smile greets me and the woman places a cup in front of me. The guide tells me it is homemade tea with fresh honey. Delicious as it sounds, it runs through my body and I feel invigorated and ready for my next adventure. “Cam ung” manages to escape my lips – “thank you” which I learned the previous day. Seeing the genuine, heartfelt smile that she returned warmed my soul more than the tea I just finished.