On our way there, our new guide Vinh asks us to make a short stop at the Cao Dai temple in Ben Luc town. This sect is a product of religious and philosophical traditions from the West and the East. They were not content with just one religion; they combined all (Buddhist, Catholic, Taoism to name a few) and came out with a very hard to describe belief system. The eclectic nature of this religion is reflected in their Great Temple. It combines architectural elements of a church and a pagoda in an extravagant style and with an abundance of colors.
Enough of our temple tour and on to the river we go.
The Mekong Delta is a lush, green area southwest of Saigon. In areas populated by its locals, a series of canals were built to get from one place to the other. Venice in Vietnam? Uhm, close but no cigar.Our first stop was at a bee farm. We were made to poke our finger in between a swarm of bees so that we could have a taste of pure honey. So as not to offend our hosts, I obliged although my eyes were half closed. They also served us honey wine which didn't taste too well and was quite strong.
A short trek away is one of the many fruit orchards in the area. We were served various tropical fruits like papaya, pineapple, jackfruit, etc. As an added twist, we were asked to dip the fruits in some salt with chili. While feasting on the fruits, we were serenaded with folk music by the locals. I could not understand the songs as they were sung in their native dialect but what I did notice was that they sounded sad. Vinh explained to me that most of their songs spoke of separations between lovers, children and their parents, all alluding to events that transpired during the war.
We were then asked to ride on their version of a gondola as we traversed the canals lined with water coconuts. Along the canals were the houses of the local residents. As we made our way to the main river, the sky had darkened and I was almost sure rain would fall at any minute.
Before the rain gushed, we were able to drop by a local coconut candy factory. The candy was tough and sticky but yummy nonetheless. At exactly 12 noon, we were served lunch at a local house by the river.
The main course was the elephant ear fish. Its meat is scraped off and placed in rice paper together with some greens and mint. It would then be dipped in tamarind sauce for that extra kick. We liked it so much, Reymond had to order a second one. Coming in a poor second and third was the grilled pork and squid respectively.
As the rain fell, we made our way back to the port and drove to the city. By the time we arrived, the rain had stopped and so off we went for one last shopping trip. We walked to Saigon Square still in search of the elusive biking jersey but we didn't find any. Saigon Centre didn't have them either. We walked and walked until we tired ourselves out but only ended up with two flutes, the special bilin of our girls. Our feet were already aching so kain nalang kami.
Reymond was getting tired of all the greens and mints. Magiging kambing na daw siya. So for our last dinner, we settled on Ristorante Venezia, the Italian place right at our hotel. I ordered my usual carbonara but sad to say, it was a disappointment. Reymond though enjoyed his pizza with prosciutto. Moral of the story? Order Italian food when you're in Italy. While in Vietnam, it's safe to just eat the local food.
We didn't have the strength to go out anymore. We packed our bags and rested for our flight home early the next day. For those planning a vacation soon, Saigon may be the place for you. Its a destination just waiting to be discovered.
2 comments:
That fish dish seemed really good. I should check to see if they serve that kind of food in our local Vietnamese restaurants. It looks like you guys had a great trip and you tour seemed very extensive.
ok pala vietnam! those tunnels .... hehehehe--
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