Mekong Delta (Part 1)

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Kathey and I did a 3-day tour of the Delta with Kim's Cafe in HCMC. What a great tour!
We saw so many things in such a short time. Lots of time cruising down the
Mekong River, visiting villages, stopping along the road to see incense being made
and the snake market, and always filled with great information about whatever we were seeing.

We quickly learned that waving was a major part of cruising the Mekong. At times it
felt a bit like we were the ice cream truck, with the sound of our motor bringing kids
running to the river bank to see the tourists, and always with huge smiles.

At one point in the river, I saw this sign that reads, "Tourist Jungle 2Km". My heart
sank, suddenly thinking that maybe this was all just a big showcase, setup by the
government for tourists. But I quickly came to the conclusion that although this
particular section of the river may well be set aside as an exclusive area for tour
boats, I just refuse to believe that all these people, with their smiling kids, are living
here just for our benefit. However, at times I had to ask myself who the real animals
in the zoo were -- them, or us. I think it's a bit mutual, actually. And my biggest hope
is that we somehow left behind something worthwhile to them, even if it was only
smiles. I'm just not sure that's enough all the time though.

One day as we were motoring down the river in the sun, we kept passing
women in boats as they headed up the river in the opposite direction. They were
tossing us oranges and grapefruits, and we had a small feast of delicious fruit, right there
on the river.

My heart rose again.

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