We awoke early enough to enjoy the most beautiful sunrise and kick off our first full day on the Mekong River.
A few interesting facts about the ship and the waters we are chartering. The Mekong Jewel is a fairly new small ship with only 34 cabins. It's well-appointed, with roomy cabins, small private balconies, and decent bathrooms. Inspirato booked the entire ship and curated the cruise, in partnership with Uniworld, for its members. While our itinerary was very similar to other Mekong cruises that Uniworld offers, there were some experiences and excursions that were uniquely designed for our group.
The Mekong River, Asia's third longest river, spans approximately 2,700 miles across Southeast Asia. Its headwaters come from the Himalayas into China, and the river continues through Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam before flowing into the South China Sea. While the water from the Mekong serves many purposes – not the least of which is its role in rice farming, the main function is its central supply of fish. It's considered the world's largest inland fishery. With more than 1,300 species in its waters, it's estimated that upwards of 25 percent of the freshwater fish caught globally today comes from the Mekong River. Not to mention, fisheries provide the most significant source of both income and sustenance for the people who inhabit the small islands lining the edges of this long-winding body of water.
The monsoon season in this region is from July to October, so we experienced the river when it was quite full and flowing. There are times when the people of this region face significant hardship during periods of drought. The water is an unappealing, muddy brown. This is less due to pollution and more to do with the sediment it carries downstream. In fact, this sediment is critical to agricultural farming, providing nutrients that aid in the growth of plants and vegetation.
After breakfast, we had our first official excursion via sampan boats – flat-bottomed, wooden boats common in this region. Our sampan transported us to the small village of Tien Loi, known for growing plants and trees that are sold and distributed to farms and gardens across the country.
While on the boat, the breeze delivered relief from the heat and humidity. However, once we were walking throughout the island, the heat smacked us in the face. I am not sure the air could be any more still than it was! Our first visit was with a local craftswoman who makes traditional fish traps made from thin, flat strips of bamboo. We then met a woman who makes and sells large planters and, afterward, walked through several plant and tree farms.
While it was interesting to hear about the livelihood of these island communities, I was more drawn to the people we saw and met. While the harshness of their lives was etched into their expressions, so were kindness and serenity to their way of life. I found myself tearing up over their raw beauty.
We ended our morning excursion by returning to smaller row boats for a short ride through the mangrove-lined canals surrounding this island community. It was shockingly quiet, peacefully still, but unbelievably hot! Do you notice a theme yet?
I was fascinated by this husky fruit that hung among the mangroves throughout the small canalways. It's a Nipa Palm, or Mangrove Palm. The fruit it bears is edible, but the husks and juice are used more for medicinal purposes.
We were surprised by the lack of wildlife we saw, including very few birds. When we mentioned this to our tour guide, he laughed and said it was because they eat anything and everything they come across!
We were met back aboard our ship by our crew, who immediately offered a refreshing drink, asked us to remove our shoes, and provided slip-ons for us to wear. Thirty minutes later, our freshly cleaned shoes arrived outside our door. A ritual that repeated each day of our cruise.
After showering and changing to fresh, dry clothes, we ate lunch and prepared for our afternoon excursion. Mark and Bryan opted out, so Karen and I joined others to visit the Coco rice factory in the province of Vinh Long, situated on a narrow island between the Mekong and Bassac rivers. We tasted popped rice (think puffed rice), flavored rice cakes, coconut toffee, sesame/black sesame candy, and green ginger tea. We also got a demonstration of how to make rice paper for spring rolls (think a thinner version of a crépe).
We were also introduced to a local specialty of snake wine. Snake wine is made from fermenting dead snakes – yes, you read this correctly – in a large jar of rice wine for months at a time. Others, including Karen, were braver than me and actually drank a shot of this stuff. I dipped my tongue in as we toasted and immediately withdrew from this most disgusting substance; I imagine this is how gasoline tastes!
Once back on the boat, it was time for showers and another change of clothes once again. Yes, it was THAT hot and humid. Dinner and an early bedtime rounded out our day.
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