Apocalypse Today

Today, we headed out to an area of the Mekong Delta, to a town called My Tho, Sth East of Saigon. At My Tho we visited a Buddhist Pagoda, as distinct from a temple. We learnt there is two main branches of Buddism, Northern and Southern. Thailand, Burma, India, etc practice Southern Buddism, Vietnam, China etc practice Northern Buddism.

The difference between a Pagoda and a Temple in Vietnam is that Monks (or people) live in a Pagoda whereas only shrines are in Temples.

Pagoda at My Tho

A happy chappy

I found Uncle Ho

This man is laughing.

After leaving the Pagoda, we travelled a short distance in the bus and ended up on one of the 9 "dragon tails" or tributaries of the Mekong River Delta as it approaches the sea. The Mekong is one of the worlds biggest rivers, starting in Tibet and nearly 5000 km long, it travels down past Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia and into the sea in Vietnam. We travelled by several different size boats across the river to an island visiting a honey producer, then by canoe through little canals on the island to a Coconut sweet producing place, then by another boat to another island and then changed boats again to smaller boat to go up a tributary for lunch. It was all very Apocalypse Now in places.

The Mekong is always brown, like the Yarra and this is a good thing as it means it carries lots of  Silt, which the farmers like.

Bees (OH&S Issues not relevant)

Tasting the Honey, very nice in Tea.

Kevin handles a snake.

Buddy of the Boat

passing another boat on one ninth of the Mekong

me again

Looking along a little side tributary

Our Tour Guide took a shine to me, his name is Phoung (Thong) and he has a degree in Australian History.

Lunch for some, but not me, an Elephant ear fish.