Day 9

 May 18 Thursday

 We started our day with breakfast in Ho Chi Minh City and then headed to the Mekong River area which had 4 islands named after the sacred creatures in Vietnamese culture – Phoenix, Turtle, Unicorn and Dragon. On the way we stopped at a bamboo shop where we got to experience a live infomercial. They had very useful products, and we learned that bamboo is highly absorbent and antibacterial. They had kitchen towels, clothing, braces, socks, and so much more. We then finished the rest of our drive to the Mekong River where we boarded our tour boat.

USS Minnow?

 

Honey

Our first stop was a honey farm where we got to try honey tea along with royal jelly which is considered the most precious bee product. It contains 16 necessary Amino Acids and has great success in cosmetics. After teatime, many students chose to hold a 10kg python and take photos. 

Snake necklace

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tilapia farm

Our next stop was a fish farm where they grew pink and white tilapia. Unfortunately, this was a short stop due to the strong winds and being unable to dock the ship. Vietnam is one of the top seafood exporters in the world, nearing 12 billion dollars per year, with most of that coming from the Mekong Delta.

 

Coconut processing

Fresh coconut water

Next, we arrived at a coconut candy facility and were able to learn the process they use to make different candies. We were able to sample the various candies they produced along with snake wine. This is a unique sake wine with this particular bottle containing King Cobra. 

 

Horse Cart

After this we took a horse carriage ride farther inland where we got experience live cultural music with fresh fruits and tea. Right after that we got on small, 4-person boats where we headed down a stream back to our larger tour boat. It was a very peaceful experience with a lush canopy of trees above us.

Fresh Fruit

Backwoods cruise

Inside the fried sticky rice ball

Our last stop on the river was lunch! The highlights of our meal included an Elephant Ear fish and a hollow, fried sticky rice ball which was approximately 7 inches in diameter. The chef prepared this in a cast iron pan filled with oil by continuously rotating the ball of sticky rice. Our last stop of the day was a chocolate factory which is locally owned and whose chocolate is considered a luxury product both in Vietnam and other parts of the world. We were able to view how the chocolate was prepared beginning at a cacao tree and ending at the finished product. We were all able to sample the variety of flavors, and many students purchased chocolate to bring home. We finished our day by driving to Cantho, which is a large coastal city, and enjoying dinner along the river.

Coconut fish

 

Jada Plastow, Kylie Rosenau, Zachary Zuber