Recently, my program coordinated a program to the Mekong Delta. The region is to the southeast of Saigon and, as expected, is a much more rural area. It was the first time I’d been exposed to what might be considered “real Vietnam.”
It was only 3 hours to our home stay—including a boat and bus ride. Our homestay was absolutely stunning. Each room had their own outdoor shower and a beautiful view of the Vietnamese wildlife. Best part, there were three puppies that loved hanging out with us!
The trip was a much needed reprieve from the city. While there, most of our travel was by boat across same channels. On the first day, we went to a coconut candy factory, a brick kiln, and a fruit market. At the fruit market, I had a taste of “Jackfruit” and it was delicious. It has almost a taffy like appearance and a pretty mild, sweet flavor. That evening we had a small cooking class where we made bánh xèo. Bánh xèo is like a Vietnamese crepe filled with radish, carrots, pork, and shrimp. It was delicious.
Then, on the second day, we had a much more busy schedule. We woke up and, after breakfast, were taken to a woman’s home where we made traditional rice paper. The process involves laying a cloth above boiling water and then laying out the batter. After 20 seconds, it’s ready to be served. We had some pan fried with a banana/ginger/pineapple/peanut jam that was much better than I thought it might be.
Afterwards, we went on a bike ride through the island where we were able to see a lot of families’ homes and see a lot of the rural terrain. Afterwards, we ate lunch on our boat and made it back to the guesthouse to hear traditional southern Vietnamese folk music—don ca tài tu. The music originated from farmers who would perform to pass the time. The practice is now recognized by Unesco for it’s “intangible cultural heritage.”
Frankly, I can't really describe the best part of the Mekong Delta. It was just really fascinating getting to see a completely different side to the Vietnam that I have been exposed to over the past month. In Saigon, there is clearly a lot of Western influence, which was present in the Mekong Delta, but it was not nearly as imposing. Everyone was so incredibly friendly and every time we passed a family they would all stop and wave and yell, "Hello!"
At one point, while on a hammock listening to "Wouldn't It Be Nice" by the Beach Boys, I took some time to really think about how incredible this whole experience has been and how excited I am for the coming months!