Mekong Delta

Today marks the last official day of our GIEU adventure. We took a 2 hour bus ride to the Mekong Delta, which is the base of the Mekong River. We learned that the Mekong River is the 10th longest river in the world and the delta is the 3rd largest delta in the world.

We boarded small boats and toured the villages surrounding the delta. The water appeared to be extremely dirty since it was brown, but the color is due to the rich soil located at the bottom of the river. That environment allows the soil to be utilized for farming (especially rice). Our first stop was an area where bricks were made. The materials for making the bricks were left over rice products. We took a quick tour and learning a little about the process and seeing the HUGE stacks of bricks. Suddenly, our work stacking bricks at the Social Work Center in Vinh didn't seem so large anymore.

Our boat tour continued with drinks of coconut milk (still in the coconut) in our hands. I was amazed by the beautiful green plants that surrounded the river. The next stop was a hut where the coconuts were processed and made into a variety of other things, including candy which we were able to sample as it was being made.

We got off the boat a third time and explored a small island located on the delta. Here, we saw how mats were made out of the reeds in the river. We had the unique opportunity to see the island from a trailer hitched to a motor bike. This ride took us to a more remote village where we had a delicious lunch prepared for us.

After lunch, we made our way back to our boat via smaller row boats. This gave us the chance to see the river up close and personal.

I really enjoyed our trip to the Mekong Delta and it was a great way to see how people in Vietnam use all of the resources the river provides them to make many other products.

-Ellen