Lost in the Mekong Delta

Leaving Saigon at dawn, we found the city still asleep. As we made our way through, the world came alive with women sweeping the streets in traditional Vietnamese hats. Our first stop was in My Tho, a quaint town in the Delta region where the heat was relentless, but the flat terrain made for an enjoyable ride. The patchwork quilt of green fields and golden waterways made for a breathtaking sight, and as we journeyed on, I couldn't help but feel awe-inspired by the beauty of it all.

can't get enough of these Vietnamese sandwiches (banh mi)

love these sugar cane ice crushes

not a big fan coconut water but when its hot these really help 

so that way to Can Tho?

As we departed My Tho for Can Tho, the adventure began to unfold. The roads grew narrower as we wound our way through a maze of rivers, traversing dirt roads, bridges, and ferries. The humid air clung to us, and we took frequent breaks to hydrate ourselves and soak in the sights and sounds of life on the Mekong.

Small towns dotted the landscape, their makeshift homes standing in stark contrast to the towering factories that dominated the outskirts of the Mekong river. We asked locals for directions, hoping to find our way to Can Tho, but often found ourselves led astray by the maze of waterways and dead ends.

Finally, a glimmer of hope appeared on the horizon: the longest cabled bridge in Southeast Asia. As we crossed it, we marveled at the stunning views of the river below and the bustling city that awaited us on the other side.

hot, lost and confused 

Mekong provides transportation and food for the region

happy we found Can Tho just before night fall

Can Tho is a bustling, modern city with plenty to see and do. During our visit, we found the streets filled with friendly locals trying to lure us to their hotels. After exploring our options, we chose to stay just outside the lively waterfront district, but we quickly realized there were plenty of great places to stay in the area. We highly recommend staying near the waterfront, as this is where all the action happens, and you'll find a wide variety of restaurants, cafes, and street food vendors to choose from.

saying good by to Vietnam and uncle Ho Chi Minh

Our last stop in Vietnam was Chau Doc, about 30 kms from the boarder of Cambodia. Phnom Penh, here we come. 

Saigon a steaming hot city too bad I was sick would have liked to try more foods

On our last day in Mui Ne, I wasn't feeling well, and unfortunately, my stomach issues persisted throughout our weekend in Ho Chi Minh City. Although we were aware that the city's name had officially changed to Ho Chi Minh City, many of the locals we spoke to, including myself, still referred to it as Saigon.

Despite my discomfort, we were excited to start our second Couchsurfing experience with Hang Dinh. Hang is a remarkable young woman who manages to balance a career as a TV news reporter, freelance travel writing, and her own globetrotting adventures with hosting complete strangers in her downtown flat in the heart of Saigon. Despite working long, hot days, Hang always found the energy to take us out, show us the city's highlights, and share fascinating stories about her life and travels.

We were grateful for Hang's hospitality and her insider perspective on the city. She took us to some of Saigon's best street food stalls and helped us navigate the bustling markets. We also visited historical landmarks like the Reunification Palace and the War Remnants Museum. Our time with Hang was an unforgettable experience, and we left Saigon feeling grateful for the new friend we had made.

bike parking at our host apartment, can you spot ours?

famous Ben Thanh Market, in the centre of Saigon has everything, but don't forget to bargin

checking out the War Remnants museum 

Just for the photo book, Hang did the driving 

enjoying ice cold Saigon beer, with seafood along the river

were not coffee drinkers, but we loved Vietnam's strong sweet ice coffee

During the scorching afternoons, Ji and I took the opportunity to explore the city on our own and attend to some last-minute repairs on my bike. We noticed that one of the pedals was malfunctioning, but we managed to get both replaced for a mere $6. Saigon has had its share of tumultuous history, as evident at the War Remnants Museum, but we could see that the future looked promising for Ho Chi Minh City. The city boasts of an array of fantastic restaurants, cafes, and shopping options, and we felt secure as we explored its new buildings and bustling streets. However, what stood out most for us was our time with our Couchsurfing host, Hang. We are grateful to Hang for the warm hospitality and the unforgettable experiences she shared with us.

Our next adventure awaits as we gear up to ride through the Mekong Delta en route to Cambodia.

3 days of scorching sun but made it to Mui Ne for much need rest

We caught the 10 hour sleeper bus from Hoi An to Nha Trang cost us about $17 each. The bus was full with backpackers and some of the packs were larger than our folding bikes. When we arrived in Nha Trang, there was lots of people trying to get us to stay at their hotel showing us photos and pricing some guys even promote multiple hotels. Jieun already knew which hotel to stay at but we still let one guy take us to the place so he could make some cash. Nha Trang is clean modern beach city, nice to see has high end to budget accommodations and loads of bars and restaurants also it an interesting night market street off the main part of the boardwalk. 

Nha Trang harbour

Po Nagar temple over looking Nha Trang

mud spa just outside Nha Trang

night market street short and full of Vietnamese sweets

Next 3 days were spent riding down hwy 1 during the hottest time of the year. Temperatures were in the mid 30's add in the scorching sun, we found ourselves stopping every hour to rest in the shade lucky Vietnam has plenty of resting areas along the road equipped with hammocks and the people selling sugarcane ice drinks were also a god sent. I like to say those 3 days were worth it when we reached Mui Ne, nothing against Mui Ne, its beautiful but getting there was hot and hard as hell. In Mui Ne we treated ourselves for 3 nights at relaxing resort with a pool overlooking the sea. It was $35 usd a night included breakfast and afternoon tea and fruits, its the most expensive place we have stayed since arriving in Asia but totally worth it. 

road to Mui Ne

often saw farmers dry their rice on the roads

water was crystal clear

hydrating

exhausted but made we it Mui Ne, 3 days later

After a few days of doing nothing we did manage to check out the local sites, like the sand dunes, but the most interesting site was the Fairy stream walk with its unique eroded banks and while on the trail we found a place where you can ride an ostrich. Jieun got an short ride for $2 but I think I would have been too heavy for the big bird. Next up Ho Chi Minh city but we like to call it by its old French colonial name Saigon. 

we quickly checked into the Sunrise Resort

thats says it all of what we did the next few days

the narrow strip of sand beach in front of the our resort

unique strawberry spring rolls tasted sweet and savory

fish we ate almost everyday while in Mui Ne

small fishing village outside Mui Ne, look like a fleet of battle ships

sand dunes was too hot to even walk on in the afternoon

strolling down the fairy stream 

looks like chocolate milk 

at the end of the fairy stream was a refreshing waterfall

reminds me of old Atari video game Joust where people ride flying ostriches