JOURNEY ON THE MEKONG IN VIETNAM

The Mekong River Delta is home to over 25 million people. Considered one of the great rivers of the world, the Mekong flows over 2,790 miles to the South China Sea. In Vietnam, the rich river delta is a patchwork of brilliant green rice paddies, fields of sugarcane, and orchards of bananas, coconuts and mangos. What an incredible place. Photographs cannot do justice. I, along with six others, boarded a private long boat, covered overhead and open on the sides, and sat with anticipation towards what we were about to see. We cruised the canals through natural greenery, passing villages and homes fronting the waterways. Along the way, we stopped at the Cai Be floating market where boats filled with fruits, vegetables and other products gather on the river waiting for traders and customers. After about an hour of cruising the floating market, we crossed the Mekong River to Binh Hoa Phuoc village where we met a wonderful farmer that invited us to his home for lunch where we enjoyed the local fruits and some tea while mingling with our host and his family. Following the delicious fruits and jasmine tea, we hopped back on the long boat and proceeded to visit a workshop where rice or corn is popped in a huge iron vat filled with blackened sand, and sweetened with honey, sugar and peanuts (see video below). After trying a few samples and enjoying some tea, we headed to lunch of Mekong fried fish and other Vietnamese delicacies at a local restaurant that was absolutely picturesque.

...One of the local floating markets. If you look on the right, the pole in the air has fruit on it... that is how they show what fruits they sell so the passing boats don't have to stop and ask...

...A local farmer that met up with my boat and gave us some coconuts. He sliced them right in front of us. We popped a straw in the top and had fresh coconut juice right there. It was fabulous...

...At the rice factory. It's an incredible process...

...Wrapping up the rice...

...The Grandmother of the house that we visited. Of course, there's always time for tea...

... She makes rice paper all day long. I couldn't have asked for a better subject to photograph!...

...Our lunch! Elephant Ear Fish... It was delicious!...

...Typical scene of a local family running errands...

...Propaganda. Very big and very bold...

...This video gives you a sneak peak behind the photographs. This is at the rice factory. Such an incredible experience!...

LIFE IS...BEAUTIFUL

XOXO

Bangkok

What a unique city!  Bangkok is the capital and chief port of Thailand, on the Chao Phraya waterway which is upstream from its outlet into the Gulf of Thailand.  Once we left the Sea of China and began sailing into the waterway, I was very happy to find my sea legs, as it was a tad bit rough there for a while.  

Bangkok is filled with many more motor bikes than cars, but nonetheless, they are all zipping around in a harried fashion.  Visiting Bangkok for two days left us with not much time, but we certainly did our best to take it all in!

We traveled three hours outside of Bangkok to Kanchanaburi, the site of the world-renowned Bridge on the River Kwai, immortalized in books and movies.  As depicted in the movie, this historical black iron bridge was the target of Allied bombing in 1945.  Words cannot express how surreal it was to be there. After, we headed to the Jeath War Museum, a replica of an actual prisoner of war camp run by the Japanese during World War II.  There were photographs from the very camp that, needless to say, needed no captions.

After such an amazing, beautiful adventure (and way too many photographs taken) we had a 1 1/2 drive to the Taweechai Elephant Camp.  And what an incredible time!  Elephants have always intrigued me, and being able to ride one in its natural element was breathtaking!  I will never forget it!  As I was riding on the neck of the elephant (harder than one may think) all the village children would run up and hand me flowers!  It was priceless!  Nothing could ever top that experience!  

There are, of course, many more photographs, but these are just a few highlights from such a wonderful day! 

...The village children being dropped off after school in their "school bus."...

...The Bridge over River Kwai...

...View from the 4 person boat we took to reach the Bridge...

...About the time I got my sea legs back...

..."Red means stop. Green means GO and yellow means SPEED UP!"...

...Here's a video I took while riding up to the Bridge Over River Kwai, please forgive the "bummpyness."  However, this gives an excellent view of what it looked like!...

Thank you for sharing this trip with me!  I am having the most memorable time!  I hope this blog finds you well and enjoying your holidays!

Now, we are headed to Vietnam!  

LIFE IS... BEAUTIFUL

XOXO

Singapore

Singapore is fabulous!  It's like New York City's Time Square meets Chicago's Michigan Avenue but quiet and dignified.  First we ventured to Orchard Street, which is like 5th Avenue on steroids.  Designer after designer, mall after mall.  The whole placed is decked out for Christmas.  And there is definitely no shortage of coffee bars; which are open 24 hours a day.  

Everyone here is absolutely the nicest they could possibly be!  There are little nooks of the city that have their own individual story.  Places such as Little India, where the aroma of curry fills the air.  And Chinatown, where heritage and culture is present and preserved at almost every turn.  We have a wonderful tour guide/ translator with us who is like a walking history book and keeps us entertained with his fascinating stories.

The weather here is just like Texas.  Hot and humid and changes by the hour.  But nonetheless, it is incredible.  The city is bursting at the seams.  So much in fact, that they are re-claiming parts of the ocean and building on the sand to expand the ever-popular and growing city.  

It is a pleasure to be able to check this city off the "Must-See" list!  Even though it took 30 plus hours to get to, it has been worth every minute.  

...Waiting in Hong Kong to board the plane for Singapore...

...Chinatown...










...Little India...


... The skyline of Singapore...-- does the tall building look like it's leaning a bit to anyone else too?...

LIFE IS... BEAUTIFUL

XOXO