Hello everyone, with our little travel blog we would like to invite you to join us on our journey =)
It all started on February 23 in the early morning, the alarm clock rang at 4 o'clock in the morning and we had to struggle a bit to get out of bed to catch the train at 5:07 to Stuttgart. Once sitting on the regional express, the mood and anticipation are already high and the new camera is being tested:
In Stuttgart we change to a new ICE 4, which catapults us to Frankfurt Central Station in just 70 minutes. Apart from our flights, a different travel speed will accompany us from now on..
We pass the check-in and passport controls without any hurdles, and when we arrive at the gate, our Qatar Airways plane is already waiting and the crew is preparing to board the aircraft. It takes some time before we finally board the plane at around 10:30, we have seats right behind the baby row. It costs a bit of sleep time, but it also provides entertainment, so the first 6 hours of the flight (with turbulence directly over Würzburg, Bayreuth and Regensburg) pass without much boredom and we look forward to our stopover in Doha (Qatar). It's already night now. The airport in Doha is impressive, everything is clean as a whistle, but the price for a cup of tea slightly exceeds our budget. We walk through long transfer halls to our connecting gate for the second flight, but with a transfer time of 90 minutes, it's easily manageable since all flights are on time down to the minute, no delays are expected here. After another 8-hour flight, which is made more enjoyable by the tasty meals and the German! entertainment program, we land in Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon) around 06:30.It's already humid, with a humidity of 90% and a temperature of 26 degrees even at this time of day. But first we take the Public Bus No. 119, which takes us on a 45-minute journey (for 12 km) through the noisy and bustling city to our long-distance bus station. It is equipped with excellent air conditioning and lightning-fast Wi-Fi, just like every regular bus in Germany. However, the brakes screech dangerously at times, and the horn is not used as a warning signal but as a means of communication. Arriving at the long-distance bus station in Ben Xe Mien Tay, we have some time to spare before our bus departs for Can Tho. This motivates us to have a second breakfast, which we have in the form of a fish soup in a soup kitchen just 3 meters away from the busy main road (our stomachs have not suffered from the food yet). At exactly 10:01, our bus sets off on the 3-hour journey to Can Tho, and we managed to get seating in the sleeper variant. This means there are no seats, but sleeping berths distributed on 2 levels. However, these berths are designed for a maximum height of 165 cm, so we are glad that we have been assigned seats at the back of the aisle, which have no foot restriction. But before we board the bus, we have to take off our shoes! The journey is relatively relaxed (finally lying down!) and every change in the road surface becomes a small roller coaster ride that lifts us completely out of the bed. Upon arrival at the bus station in Can Tho, we treat ourselves to a taxi ride to our accommodation, the Greenvillage Mekong 1. It is located outside the actual city, in the midst of the green Mekong Delta. The individual bungalows are made entirely of coconut palms and are simply but comfortably furnished. To protect against the mosquitos that come out at night, there is a mosquito net hanging over the canopy bed. Aside from the few guests, there are also 2 little kittens and two puppies (and their mother) living in the resort. There are no reservations and we have fun playing sports, games, and cuddling together. After settling in, we go on a little paddling tour with the resort's own boat through one of the branches of the Mekong Delta. In the evening, we spend some time in the kitchen with the chefs. We have banana shoots and flower salad for dinner. To end the day, we enjoy a beautiful sunset over the flooded rice fields. The next day starts early. Our tour to the Cai Rang floating markets begins at 05:45. This is where fruit and vegetable traders from the entire Delta gather to conduct their trade. After a 40-minute boat ride through the branches, accompanied by the sunrise, we arrive there. The branches are inhabited all the way to the river, and the people here live with the water. We see them washing dishes, doing laundry, and brushing their teeth in the river, which is unimaginable to us given the water quality.It is currently the dry season, as can be seen from the houses that are designed for a water level 2 meters higher. At the floating market, we enjoy our breakfast (the famous Pho soup, consisting of glass noodles, coriander, sprouts, and meat). We also have a freshly cut coconut to drink. While having breakfast, a Vietnamese tourist boat approaches us, and we assume that they are also here to get breakfast. But we are mistaken! We (the Danish family and us) are the tourist attraction here. Photos are taken and we are asked to pose. Quite an interesting experience. The merchant boats at the market are packed to the brim with pineapples, jackfruits, mangoes, and various vegetables. Each boat has a long pole set up, at the end of which the goods being sold are already visible from afar. Some boats sell only one variety, while others have a larger selection. We stop at a noodle factory, which shows how the rice noodles that are often eaten here are made. Over a steam kettle, a dough made from rice flour is cooked into flat cakes, dried, and later cut into noodles. We get to try it ourselves. Finally, we explore a street market on foot. Here, we can find everything else that was not available at the floating market. However, we have to be very careful not to get our toes reduced in number by one of the passing mopeds. The 2 and 5 year old Danish children have to be brave. They are constantly being touched by strangers, pinched on the face, and grabbed for selfies. Quite exhausting! Here is a small selection of snails for lovers of delicacies. In a temple next to the market, the New Year 2018 is still being celebrated, which took place just a few days ago. After our return to the resort at 11 o'clock, a little nap is in order, which turns out to be longer than expected (hello, jet lag).In the afternoon, we explore the immediate surroundings of the resort by bike (greeted loudly by every Vietnamese child) and enjoy the tropical fruits we bought at the market (jackfruit and water apple). For dinner, we have the very tasty elephant ear fish, which is a staple in the Delta. Meanwhile, we have received some company while writing, which requires our full attention =) We will be back!
