Archive for April, 2010

Just when we thought our Mekong cruise could not get any better, it did. Today’s afternoon tour ended with a 20-minute ox-cart ride back to La Marguerite. Traveling through countryside and a small village on a dusty road, past rice fields and amused locals, we ended the last full day of the cruise on an extremely upbeat note. No freely poured champagne and caviar on this soft-adventure cruise; instead, people who value experiencing more than pampering. When I asked fellow passengers about their best day on the cruise, this was it. As for me, one of my best cruise experiences ever is nearing its end. Tomorrow, Angkor Wat and back to Ho Chi Minh City.

Because of low water (in the Cambodian section of the Mekong), we are spending one day more in Vietnam than originally scheduled. In fact, this morning’s tour to Xeo Quyt was not included in the original itinerary but was added because of extra time spent in the Vinh Long area (street scene of Vinh Long pictured). AMAWATERWAYS is pioneering a river where only a handful of companies operate and is quickly adapting to low-water conditions upstream. For example, Tonle Sap (Great Lake) is impassable by boat, so we will transfer by bus (5 hours) to Siem Reap, from Kampong Chhang. Water conditions likely will dictate two products in the future, a low-water itinerary and a high-water one.

Today’s included excursion was to Xeo Quyt, a one-hour bus transfer from Vinh Long, where we overnighted on La Marguerite. Former base for the resistance, Xeo Quyt is now part ecological park and part war history. Another fascinating excursion where we saw how soldiers lived and survived in the jungle.

We are in Vinh Long for the bustling afternoon market. Again, a visually stunning boat ride and walk through the market, where all manner of aquatic life were being sold, as well as a lot of everything else edible and imaginable.

Yes, that is a cobra in the bottle of snake wine at the market in Cai Be. A cure-all for rheumatism, our guide tells us. Just don’t take too big of a sip or else you’ll end up with cobra belly. Maybe it’s safer to use a straw – or a mongoose.

A few readers have asked about internet access. 3G appears to be prevalent along the river in Vietnam (we won’t have 3G service in Cambodia, I am told.)

For now, however, I am using 3G to post from my Blackberry. La Marguerite routes the 3G network through a wireless network, which allows guests to access the internet on WiFi-enabled devices. The service is offered free of charge and can be spotty.

A visually stimulating morning in Cai Be. Photos will be posted later. On today’s three-hour tour, we are traveling by private water taxi, a good way to go, not sticking out so much as tourists on a bus. We are traveling on the river, like the locals.

If you have a bucket list, put this trip on it. My daughter says she enjoyed this Heritage House the most, where we got to see how Vietnamese live. An appropriate trip for a 14-year-old? It’s more than that. I would argue that it’s essential for anyone who hopes to develop a well-rounded world view. “It’s only day one, but it’s probably the best trip I’ve ever taken,” says the well-traveled 17-year-old Isabel Karst from Los Angeles.