No Fixed Abode: La Cochinchine

Wed 16 Mar 2016 - Mekong Cruise Day 1, Cai Be and Sadec

The cruise company had arranged to collect us from the hotel 0800-0830. As it was down such a small alley we decided to walk up to the main road and wait for them there. Stepping out of the door yesterday’s grotty alley had turned into a fabulous, if somewhat narrow, street market with colourful fruit and vegetables of every type, fish so fresh they were still flapping in large metal dishes and all manner of meats and sweets. Winding our way through the congested central walkway we made our way to the road, made ourselves as prominent as possible and waited. At 0825 we began to think that this might not have been such a good idea until a young guy bounced up behind us asked if were waiting for the Mekong cruise. He had been waiting in the hotel reception since 0815 and fortunately came looking for us. A quick call on his mobile phone a car sped up to collect us and we were on our way.

On the way our guide informed us that we had the boat to ourselves for the first 24hrs after which we would be joined by 8 Australians - good for us. When we arrived at the riverfront a small boat was waiting to collect us and we were soon speeding across the water to La Cochinchine, previously a rice barge, that was to be our home for the next 48 hrs.

Once aboard we were shown around and told that lunch would be in ½ hour. As we sat down to enjoy our welcome drink we glanced through the menu we noticed that lunch had 6 items and whilst deciding which one to choose, the waiter brought a large bowl of salad, which we tucked into as we watched the riverbank glide by from our deck top dining area. Already feeling full and wondering if we’d finish the salad when another dish arrived, then another. Lunch was everything on the menu! We explained that we weren't that hungry but were advised that the chef had already prepared everything so we should try it all and leave what we didn’t want - which was quite a lot.

The next 3 hours the boat cruised along. Up the vast main Mekong channel at first then down a smaller channel running parallel. The water world is absolutely teaming with craft of every size: huge barges so full of sand dredged from the riverbed that they were barely above the water; smaller barges carrying rice, rice husks, bricks, fruit you name it; right down to tiny canoes with a single fisherman. The rivers truly are the lifeblood of this part of the country. As we sat on our sun loungers there was so much to see we couldn't possibly have the planned siesta. Small ramshackle stilt houses, flour mills, brick factories, all unloading raw materials and loading finished products - mainly by hand. Our guide told us many of the boat owners live on board their boats with their families - a strange existence.

Eventually we reached our afternoon stop, dropped anchor then boarded the small boat we’d been towing behind, on which the crew had already loaded some bicycles. Cycling, our guide took us to temple that was brightly decorated with fascinating designs and he explained it was for a new faith, Caodaism, which encompasses catholicism, buddhism, taoism and confucianism.

Next we rode through an area famous for growing plants. Lot of plants. Every house was like a nursery with shelves extending over the small streams crammed full of pot plants for export. We visited one particular house that specialised in bonsai trees which had examples of all shapes and sizes dotted around it. The weather here is so favourable they can grow all manner of things quickly and the road was busy with lorries being loaded with plants ready for market.

Then it was off to an ancient (100 yrs old) house that had belonged to a wealthy Chinese man who fell in love with a young French girl but as a foreigner from a poor background was not going to cut it with the family so he was forbidden to marry her. She returned to Paris and became the novelist Marguerite Durais. The young girl showing us around made much of the tragic love story, (or lub story!), so much so we had to watch the recently made movie whilst having lotus flower tea, and told us very little of the house, which had the most amazing carvings. She also had a very endearing way of starting all her sentences with “Excuse me, lady and gentlemens”, which never failed to make Yvonne smile.

Finally we walked around the market, which was like a super sized version of this morning’s. Amongst the hubbub of the vendors shouting “cucumber, cucumber XX per kilo” and the husband and wife jointing a pig on the floor there were fish of every description kept alive in shallow aerated bowls and fruit and veg by the ton. Our guide told us that the Vietnamese wouldn't dream of refrigerating produce when they can come and buy it fresh every day.

Back on the bikes we returned to the boat to lie on the top deck having our feet massaged (by the young waiter, Tony, who, it turned out, is a Man Utd fan who “loves” Wayne Rooney) as the sun set in the distance. The only thing remaining was a large multi course dinner of huge shrimps, squid, stuffed pumpkin flowers, and chicken. Oh, and a fruit salad to finish. All enjoyed with the local beer ‘bar, bar, bar’ …...333.