19. Nov 16th. Island Hopping in the Mekong Delta

Today we were scheduled to do some bike riding around the Mekong delta islands.  Given an ambient temperature in the low 30’s, humidity in the 80’s and zero wind, we opt to just cruise the islands by slow boat and skip the biking.  Judith’s shoulder is bothering her and I also make up my share of aches and pains to avoid excess sweating by bike.   Instead we decided to lay back and cruise the islands by boat.  Much more civilized and much less sweaty.

I really love the breakfasts at this hotel.  Today I have poached eggs on toast.  My late spouse, Steve, used to make this for me on weekends.  Other than the sweatiness due to climate, I know he’d enjoy the travel too.  The climate for this week has been unseasonably warmer.  People here have blamed it on global warming.

We have a leisurely start, making it down to the resort’s dock at 8:00 am.  We have checked out of the hotel and taken our bags with us on the water taxi because we’re staying at another hotel further south from here.    It’s a beautiful sunny day and the water’s flat calm, despite the river’s current.  

Heading across the river.

We pass the sketchy car ferry boat we saw yesterday, underway on the Mekong.  Apparently the repairs are done, but it doesn’t look any less sketchy.

At Muang village across the Mekong we dock and proceed up the sandy hill to where the van is waiting for us.  Our luggage is loaded into the van from the boat and we proceed to a small village at Ban Hang Khong where we board a different small boat for our Mekong cruise.  Our luggage is staying with the driver who will look after it while we are out enjoying the day.  Judith has a senior moment before we leave.  On her way from the bathroom she can’t find her sunglasses and announces to the villager standing nearby that she’s lost them.  He understood enough English to point to it on the top of her head.

We are going south down the river.  It’s a smoking hot day and all we’re doing is sitting on a boat on the river.  I’m glad I am not cycling.  We are touring Si Phan Don which roughly translates to the 4000 Islands.  In this section of the Mekong there are hundreds of islands, some of which are technically only sandbars but others large enough to to have permanent communities.  

Our boat is typical of many of the boats you see on the Mekong.  We chug away slowly through the waterways.

Settling in for a day of boating.  Pheng took the picture.

These are very simple boats.  The captain is holding the tiller.  He can adjust the throttle by pulling on a wire.  

The shores of the main islands are lined with buildings.  The taller ones are hotels and the shorter ones usually restaurants.  

Typical shore line view where there are communities.  

The boat just chugs along.  It’s a peaceful way to enjoy the scenery which consists of sandy shorelines, vegetation and the occasional fishermen.

We disembark on Don Lappadi Island and walk down a small trail.  It leads to a village where several people are weaving bamboo baskets.  One man was weaving a large basket used to hold chicken and roosters.  He was using an old frame as a template.

The basket weaver

He has a rooster inside a basket.  Apparently cock fighting is popular and this rooster is a fighter.  

Fortunately we never saw any fighting.

The village had a number of traditional Laos homes that are built on stilts.  It protects against flooding as well a provides a cool, shaded and dry living area for families.  

 

House on stilts.

We came across another bamboo weaver making a basket for cooking sticky rice.  I wanted to purchase one, but she didn’t have any plain bamboo baskets.  The village weavers makes these baskets which are sold to a retailer and they had recently come through a few days ago and cleared out her inventory.  

We continued along the path and came across a mother water buffalo and her calf.  The baby was curious and Judith wanted to pet it, but sensed the mother might see her as a threat.  The large horns on the mother’s head deterred Judith from getting close enough to pet the baby,  

The baby water buffalo.  

We continued along the trail with the guide pointing out various plants.  We reached the home of a local family where we had our lunch.  He was a former engineer with the government but now has settled into retired life building a new home, putting in a vegetable garden and preparing to welcome guests for a home stay experience.  His gardens were pretty extensive and there was a lovely view from the upper deck overlooking the river.  

Lunch at the Don Lappadi homestay.  Judith was all over the fresh vegetables.

After lunch I take a power nap.  I had a crappy sleep the night before, probably because of the afternoon coffee I had at the coffee plantation, so this hammock was perfect.  

View from the upper deck overlooking the vegetable and fruit garden.  You can see some of the islands of Si Phan Don.

After lunch we board the boat at the river’s edge from our lunch spot and return up river.  It’s a couple of hours of boating at our leisurely pace.  

On the way, we are passed by a speed boat with an orange wrapped figure at the helm.  

We catch up to this boat because it was completely stopped and see the orange person was a monk who had wrapped his robes around his head to protect from the wind and sun.  Their boat engine had stopped working and the man in front was paddling back to shore using his flip flops sandals.  They were paddling towards the island to get a new spark plug for the engine.  

Paddling to shore to get a new spark plug. 

 

There’s a few unusual watercraft.  We passed a slow moving ferry that was made from a couple of boat hulls similar to our boat.    

Catamaran ferry.

We arrive back at Done Khong Island and meet back up with our driver.  We head to our accommodation that night at the Pan Arena Hotel.  On our way our guide recommends the Pan Restaurant about half a block away as a good place to go for dinner.

The hotel has nice accommodation.  The room was very large with a seating area and a door leading to the rear deck area. 

Outside the door to the rear deck was the pool and a small personal seating area.

This is one of two pools.  There is a lower deck on the far side of the pool with additional seating area and a koi pond stocked with big koi.

We chill for a bit and get a cold drink before heading out for dinner.  The restaurant is located near the reception and tables are set up in groups of 8.  It was more like a set up for a cafeteria rather than a restaurant for a hotel with many guests.  In any event, when we ask if we can have a drink and they point us to their big tables and we sit at one of them, order a drink and watch the activity on the Mekong.  We return to the room before sunset where I capture it.

We decide to go for dinner at the recommended restaurant.  Our guide just happens to be there too.  He helps us order and we end up with some tasty meals.  The Wifi code at the restaurant is the same as the hotel.  The entire street is owned by Mr. Pan and so every establishment has the same password.  They have the same signs everywhere showing the code.  Probably not the most secure internet access but it works for now.  

 

Tomorrow I’m up early because I want to go to the market.  It’s a 5:45 start.  Judith has seen enough dead animal heads so she declines to go.