Cong Doan Hotel My Tho

... finally stopped at one of the islands and there was some retaurant. SO there was no one else there as it is usually closed in the evening but our local guide was a friend of the owner. So we watched them kill a snake for us, and drain the blood and pull at the heart and gall bladder. These were then given to us to take back to our table in a little place and Im not joking...the heart was still beating. We ...

... we work from 9- 11 and 2 - 4.30pm and in between its rest time :)!!! <br><br>Yesterday was the first day...we were taken to this house and introduced to the owner an old woman who is spending the days sitting on a chair watching and smiling at us. The house is also for her duaghter who is pregnant and the husband! We were introduced to another two ladies who seemed to be in charge of making sure we stay healthy and have everything we need...and the ...

... immediately began shouting &#8220;hello!&#8221; to us. Much excitement all around.<br><br>Lan then took us to his home, an extremely modest affair built of corrugated metal and other odds and ends. Directly inside the front door was his pet dog, tethered to a very short line and absolutely thrilled to see its master. We were astonished and dismayed at the squalor and poverty so evident in his dwelling. Was there running water? Electricity? It wasn't apparent to us. Nevertheless Lan was ...

... pole fastened to each vessel, i.e. cassava, sweet potato, onion, etc. Later we glided through another channel lined on either side with vast swaths of water hyacinths. Lan explained to us that farmers who live riverside encourage their growth, setting traps in amongst the tangles in order to ensnare catfish (which are then filleted and shipped to Europe and America). The water hyacinth also serves another purpose. The growth is shorn off, dried, and then used to make woven ...

... making the candy which was pretty cool. Unexpectedly we saw an enclosure full of crocs and a pen with an ostrich and an emu in it.. very random. We then took a 20minute long boat ride thru the mangroves which was beautiful before joing the big boat again. <br><br>We left that day but not without getting scammed... It had to happen and it did in My Tho. Mind you i can live with what happened cause you hear a lot worse... We just paid well over the ...

... to feed the entire population of Vietnam, they also make rice papers and the casings for spring rolls (it was really impressive to watch the production line &#8211; each person had 2 frying pans to which they would add the batter, fry for a few seconds, remove into a pile and start again). We also visited a sweet factory where they pop the rice (same as popcorn) to make into sticky squares (the mix it with coconut caramel and flavourings ...

... shell) and becomes popped rice. It&#8217;s the same stuff that&#8217;s in rice cakes (aka cardboard for some of you L) . As we went down the river more we saw many small houses along the side of the river. It&#8217;s so sad because most of them seem like they are about to fall into the river. When we finally made it to land, while the other checked into the hotel, I booked a night to stay at a homestay. I thought how cool would it be to meet a family and talk to them ...

... clean with mosquito nets provided but the 2 inch thick mattresses are on top of a cement block so I guess you couldn't quite call it comfortable. The grandmother had cooked a lovely fish meal which she served up in rice paper and offered us all beer out in a cute little courtyard setting. Not wanting to be rude I actually drank some of the beer and asked for water later. Unfortunately she didn't understand so smiled politely and said "no, no, ha haha". Would love to know what ...

... giving us some exotic fruit to try, trying to communicate with us with a curiousity of where we come from. The kids are freakn unreal, mainly because they haven't been conditioned with any prejuidecs as yet, so the curiousity gets the better of them. The main culprits are; Kha - 5 - little **** Tha - 5 - the favourite (plan to kidnap this little ****er) Duy - 7 - second favourite Maun - 7 3rd favourite Lao - 11 - equal 3rd Hao - 1 - lao's lil bro, fat little tubber. Then there ...

... I love their reaction. Usually, Vietnamese are friendly and engaging. Once in a while, though, a few would simply repeat my "xin chao" greeting in a deliberate and measured tone. After a few months, a local guide explained why. Because of my excitement, I changed the tone from flat (-) to rising (/). Translated: "give me soup." <br><br>Next, Cu Chi<br><br>Eric