Well, its almost time to be leaving Vietnam, with a certain sadness in my heart. I love this place and if I had time I would be staying for longer. Events of the last few days have soured the experience here for me (having money stolen from me by a travel agent does not rate as one of my all time favourite things, it has to be said!) but I still am able to recognise that the people of Vietnam are warm lovely and friendly and are anxious for people to return.
I finished working in the cooking house 2 days ago, with great sadness. The work has been hard and hot and sometimes the pernickitiness of the people has driven me insane. They slap you really hard if they don't approve of the way that you are chopping and that makes me crazy! But in the main they love having international volunteers and are always eager to welcome new people.
We visited the Mekong Delta for a day last weekend. Its well known for its part in the Vietnam war, as its all on waterways (the Vietnamese version of Venice I guess!) and the Viet Cong used them to great effect for silent attacks. Its beautiful and peaceful, and we travelled on the waterways for most of the day. We went to a coconut candy factory (yum! And photo included) and visited a beekeeping place for honey tea. It was a fun day enjoyed by all. The photo included here is of one of the women who paddled our boat- these guys are hard core! They look tiny but they are strong!!
What else..oh yeah we went out for numerous nights out as everyones time here is coming to an end and must be celebrated. So cocktails and visits to our favourite veggie restuarant in De Tham, Zen. It looks like a cafe but the food is lovable!
Oh and we did a Vietnamese cookery course. It was a laugh although I have to say it was overpriced. But the food was delicious and it was fun doing the cooking in a tiny cramped space the size of a shoebox! I cooked tofu with mushrooms and onions and it was delicious!
So its time to make up my mind about where to go next. I am becoming ever more conscious of time ticking on. I am also becoming aware that the more travelling you do, the more you become aware of how big the world is- and how long you would have to travel to see it all. Maybe I'll have to be away longer than I first thought.....who knows. Right now I'm enjoying being a gypsy, unsure of where to lay my head from one night to the next, not knowing where I'll be in 2 weeks time. The sense of freedom is intoxicating- and addictive.
Till next time.
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