Vietnam

As I mentioned in my last post, life in the Mekong Delta is dominated by water. For the people of Cambodia and southern Vietnam who live beside, on and in this vast waterway, the Mekong and its tributaries provide food, transport, sanitation and a whole lot more.

Having had the opportunity to spend many hours on the river myself in recent weeks, I’ve put together this photo essay to provide a brief insight into life on South East Asia’s largest river.

No trip to Vietnam would be complete without spending a few days checking out the mighty Mekong Delta. Easily accessible by bus from Saigon, the towns and villages on the Mekong River and its tributaries give you a glimpse of a way of life that has been largely unchanged for centuries. To get a better picture, however, you need to leave the safety of the shore and spend some time on the river. One of the best places to do this is in Can Tho – the largest town in the delta – by checking out its well known floating markets.

Of the many things I love about travelling solo, by far the best is that unless you really can’t get enough of your company, you are pretty much guaranteed to meet new people every day. When the only conversation that you’ve had all day is saying good morning to the hostel receptionist or ordering a monosyllabic breakfast, you tend to make a much greater effort to strike up a conversation with a random stranger than you otherwise would. Sometimes you might get little more than a grunt in return, while other times you might have a friendly chat over dinner and not much else. Occasionally, however, you meet some great people that you end up spending a lot longer with than you anticipated, sharing crazy times and amazing experiences with along the way.

On the list of dumb things to do while travelling, losing your passport has to rank pretty close to the top of the list. Depending on where you are in the world the cost and hassle of replacing it can easily run into several hundred dollars and days or even weeks of ruined travel time. Knowing this, I have always taken particular care to know where my passport is at all times and as a result, have never really come close to being permanently separated from my little blue travel companion. Never, that is, until yesterday.

I’ve been back in Vietnam for a little over 48 hours and have already fallen back in love with the crazy brand of awesomeness that is Saigon. For the first time visitor though – ie, me two years ago – the place can just seem like a total madhouse. You can always spot the person who has just stepped off the plane that day – they will be the one searching for a change of underwear while waiting in vain for the traffic to thin sufficiently to cross the road. Hint: it never will – just make eye contact with the oncoming stream of traffic and walk slowly and steadily across the street. Vehicles will go round you if you keep moving. If you hesitate, you’re toast.