Vietnam Discoveries – by Rickshaw and on Foot

[x_section style=”margin: 0px 0px 0px 0px; padding: 45px 0px 45px 0px; “][x_row inner_container=”true” marginless_columns=”false” bg_color=”” style=”margin: 0px auto 0px auto; padding: 0px 0px 0px 0px; “][x_column bg_color=”” type=”1/4″ style=”padding: 10px 10px 10px 10px; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 1px; “][x_text class=”center-text “]by Danny de la Cruz[/x_text][/x_column][x_column bg_color=”” type=”3/4″ style=”padding: 0px 0px 0px 0px; “][x_text]What started out 3 weeks earlier was now finally coming to an end as I sat in my 8th and final plane, this time on the tarmac of San Francisco International Airport. I was jet-lagged, no longer certain of the day and hour given all the time changes and ready for a long, hot shower and my bed back in Chicago — just four more hours to go.

I sat there staring out the window waiting for our turn to take off — it was the perfect time to reflect on the vacation I had just experienced — three countries, multiple airports, modern cities filled with unrelenting traffic of jeepneys or mopeds, provincial villages and dirt roads, glorious ancient temples, somber history lessons and what started it all – a massive family reunion.

This wasn’t just a vacation, but the adventure of a lifetime. These are the stories of my South East Asia Chronicles…

We boarded small boats and after just a few minutes in the water,  found ourselves on shore looking at a long line of rickshaws flanked by their respective drivers. After some quick instructions on the proper way to get in and out without landing flat on our face, each person in our group slowly got into their rickshaw for a ride through the city of Xe Loi in Vietnam.

My first thought was on the poor man that would have to pedal me around the city – I wish I had been on that diet I had promised myself before the vacation. The driver was older and really thin — he would really have to pedal hard!

Once inside the rickshaw, I settled in and tried to get as comfortable as possible for the ride ahead, remembering to stay centered in my seat and not sway from side to side to tip it over or get carried away trying to snap that perfect photo along the way. It was time to hang on…

A Rickshaw Ride in Xe Loi, Vietnam [x_video_embed type=”16:9″ no_container=”true”]

It was kind of funny seeing the locals react to our little parade of rickshaws as we (I mean our drivers) pedaled through the city. We drove by local markets, quiet neighborhoods, schools and even an early morning wedding, then finally to the first of two stops, a silk weaving factory.  After a quick tour and a chance to buy some silk scarves, we boarded our rickshaw and peddled once more to our next destination, a rattan mat and slipper making factory. By the time we made it to our second destination, I felt really bad for my driver since he was dripping in sweat. Let’s just say I was generous with my tip.

Our parade of rickshaws in Xe Loi, Vietnam

My arrival at the silk factory.

The Market of Sa Dec, Vietnam

On the next day after sailing through part of the night down the Mekong River, our ship, the Amalotus came upon the town of  Sa Dec. We once again boarded small boats to transfer to shore and once on land, were greeted by a colorful market full of vendors with a range of exotic finds.

Our group was led by our tour guide, Khanh, who explained the inner workings of the market and what foods were available for sale.

While I recognized most of the foods along the way, the surprise was really in seeing everything as if it had just been fished from the river, picked from the earth or slaughtered at the farm. Here’s a glimpse of some of what I discovered while strolling through the market.

The one thing that did surprise me the most was when I came upon this big pan of pink animals. I could tell they were little animals from a distance, but only upon getting close and inspecting them further did I realize that this particular woman was selling skinned rats. She loved the reactions from me and the group as we stood there gawking at the sight of dead, skinned rats.

She picked up two of the rats and made them kiss, then started to laugh. We all laughed together at that point — you just had to be there.

A pan full of skinned rats/Time for a kiss.

While part of me was grossed out by the thought of rats being sold for food, a secret part of me was disappointed that she wasn’t selling them fried on a stick. Not knowing how this delicacy is normally prepared, I just imagined these little critters being fried. Would I have tried one if it had been presented fried on a stick?

I was told that these rats were clean since they were from the country and lived on rice versus rats from the city — well, you don’t want to know what city rats eat. Yuck!

It was time to move on and finish exploring the market before we would head to our next destination. I loved seeing the colorful market and all the diversity of food that was offered — both dead and alive!

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