Monday, Feb. 16

We are off to the Mekong Delta today.  Our bus not only has AC but also free Wi-fi.  We drove for about  an hour and then had a rest stop.  The rest stops included hammocks- now that is a rest stop.  Bruce barely fits lengthwise. 

Our first stop was to a bee farm. We had tea with worker bee honey which is supposed to be very good for you.  We also tasted tropical fruits - jackfruit being the only unusual one.  Then we were entertained by 3 musicians playing Vietnamese music and a soloist.  

Then we walked down a path of great greenery to a small waterway.  We got into boats for 4 - and we had a man rowing us through this water channel.  When we ended the boat trip we learned how to make coconut candy.  We also tried snake wine and we got to try on a snake.

Jackfruit 

Our rower

Then we boarded a larger boat for a thirty minute ride down the Upper River.  

We landed at Tortoise Island where we had lunch.  When Bruce was getting off, he decided to race ahead, He lost his balance, and knocked this European guy's sunglasses off - he was pretty ticked.  Because we had paid for a certain tour we were to that our lunch was included and that it would be a big lunch- they weren't kidding.  We had spring rolls, soup, rice paper that we were to put in noodles, elephant fish, herbs and then roll it up like a taco, rice, pork and cucumbers, and pineapple for dessert.

Cool presentation or what? Then she came and filleted it for us

Vietnamese pancake- it is like a crepe,filled with chicken and bean sprouts 

Then we went to the other side of the river and the bus was waiting.  We went to see the oldest Pagoda in Vietnam.  It has a huge lying Buddha to represent the past, a standing one for the present, and a sitting one for the future.