01/11/2022 - Off to the Mekong Delta

Some call it crazy, others call it an adventure. When the alarm went off at 3:40 am, I briefly considered scrapping the whole tour as a crazy idea, turning around, and going back to sleep. 3:40 am is clearly too early even for self-proclaimed early risers like me. But the thought of floating on the Mekong, watching the sunrise, and visiting the famous floating markets lured me to overcome the desire to stay in bed and leave as quickly as possible to meet our guide at the hostel entrance at 4:00 am along with another German backpacker. In the true Vietnamese tradition, our guide took his time and arrived at quarter past four - well, an extra 15 minutes wouldn't have saved me. What followed was an interesting discussion about wearing helmets while riding motorcycles, with the result: the driver had one on, I didn't. Well, by shortly after 4:00 am, I didn't care anymore.

When we arrived at the boat, it was still pitch dark, and I was still struggling to keep my eyes open as Viet continued to take us down the Mekong. Initially, we were almost alone on the river, but as dawn approached, the business activities noticeably increased. Boats loaded with fruits and vegetables, ferries, and larger ships carrying sand and gravel overtook us or passed us by. By the time we arrived at the first floating market, we were right in the middle of Vietnamese business hustle and bustle again. Everywhere you looked, people were haggling and trading. Boats full of watermelons, pineapples, onions, and coconuts wove their way through the crowd. And suddenly, the floating breakfast appeared. An older woman steered directly towards our boat and handed us a bowl of soup. So there we stood, eating our pho, watching the market women in their small boats, and enjoying the sunrise - a pretty perfect setting that made getting up early definitely worth it.

After about an hour, it was already 7 am and Viet started the engine again, and we set off. The path led us away from the main river to the smaller branches of the Mekong. So we sailed deeper and deeper into the magical world of the Mekong Delta, with countless green plants, plantations full of fruit, and occasionally small secluded houses. Here, we were far away from the traffic, the noise, and the hustle and bustle. After a while, we stopped again. At our request, Viet had planned a short stop at a cocoa plantation. He led us through the cocoa trees and explained the process of production. Finally, we were allowed to try everything, from pure cocoa to hot chocolate. Thanks again to the tip provider!

After that, we returned to the boat and headed towards the last highlight of the tour. As a finale, we got to experience firsthand how noodles are made. Once again, our guide led us through the factory and explained everything you need to know about the production of the Vietnamese staple food. And then it was over, the last guided tour in Vietnam. Although only six hours were agreed upon in total, Viet spent almost 7.5 hours with us. If anyone is ever in Vietnam and wants to do a very non-touristy tour of the Mekong Delta, please let me know. I can connect you with Viet. He is extremely warm and welcoming and would be happy to have tours booked with him.