‘Lets see what treasures the tide’s washed up’, a whimsical summer refrain as parents and children bumble along a sunny beach.  Every shell, rounded pebble and softened piece of glass becomes a gem on a windowsill of magical morsels. A child’s imagination cast to rove amidst the vastness and mystery of an unchartered sea. 

Whilst walking a deserted beach in Vietnam it was a wonderful pull to feel this nostalgic memory kindle afresh as I sifted through the oceans treasures.  It reminds one of the importance it is to be a child. A healthy past time to enjoy moments of play, cast away the blinkers of grown up life and be raptured in the simple magic which surrounds us everyday.

From our stop on Utres Beach there was two days cycle before crossing the border to Vietnam.  Our Cambodian swan song was a glorious sunset over the mountains beyond the french quarter and waterways of Kampot.  A fitting end to the monuments and history of Cambodias colourful past.

Rolling into our next SE Asian region the flat surrounding countryside morphed from chequered bleached salt fields to vast rectangular fishery ponds.  The border crossing was smooth as a pancake with stamps and visas having been obtained in advance.  And so began our journey across the Nine Dragons, the name given to the nine tails/distributaries of the Mekong delta.

As soon as you hit the outer edges of theses Dragons the reliance and harvest of it’s waters flood your senses.  Markets overflowing with the bountiful crop of this endless water world; Sharks, shellfish and lily stems to snakes, toads and tropical fruit. Drying shrimp permeates the air and arrests your nostrils at every turn.  

Pockets of land become icebergs between networks of waterways and manmade canals. Ducks take pride of place as the farmed animal of choice and the local saying ‘you’ll never go hungry in the Mekong Delta’ rings loud and true.

By numbers alone this region is astonishing.  It produces 50% of the nations rice, 80% of the nations fruit and 60% of the nations fish.  A total of 46% of all food produced in Vietnam originates from the Delta.  For a country bordered by sea and with fertile lands throughout her length, this begins to paint a picture of it’s bounty.

Our cycling became a mingle of narrow lane’d dust tracks along the dappled shade of residential canals to crossing massive highways as the country seeks to join it’s road network from end to end.  As we’re finding in all of Asia there’s lots of change and investment for a population hungry for growth and a slice of the pie. 

From her northerly neighbours the country has a more engrained social code. Helmets are worn by all riders of motorbikes and scooters, which make up 95% of the registered vehicles in the country.  It’s rare to ever see a person being idle, wheel chaired and blind citizens are as a prevalent in selling wares as others.  Breakfast kicks off at 6am, lunch is at 11:30, dinner comes early and the day starts winding up around 9pm.  The communist collective pumps strongly through the veins and minds of it’s people. Ensuring all work as one.

Our guide books have been hit and miss in this untrodden region.  With endless options in transacting the Nine Dragons we kept to the more favourable routes for pedal power.  4 days after leaving Cambodia we took a couple of days rest in Rach Gia.  Reading ahead we’d learned a little bit of Vietnamese goes a long way. It was a relaxed couple of days soaking up the vendors smiles to our Vietnamese courtesies as we sampled the sights and tastes of this bustling port town.

Taste comes high on the menu here too with street food and cafes keeping the countries early starters fuelled from the off.  Steaming Pho (noodles) is the staple though coconut crispy pancakes, pork ribs, rice and pickled vegetables, steak and fish in bubbling clay pots and cassava root flour cakes and jellied Che for dessert have the diet wonderfully varied.

With the journey continuing we reached our highest point in the delta crossing the Can Tho double suspension bridge.  This Orwellian dystopian monster straddles one of the main tributaries with a heady clearance of 39m. I even got to experience it’s magnificence twice as we realised we’d left our laptop charger in Can Tho when we stopped for the day in Tra Vinh. Brian was down with a dodgy stomach so I was on the back of a scooter for a 3.5hr round trip to retrieve said part.  When your bum needs a day off, 3.5hrs on a scooter takes some grimacing!

With Tra Vinh being an emergency stop for chargers and tummies we soon pushed on to Ben Tre for some down town.  The new bridges connecting Vietnams highways across the delta have only just reached this conurbation. It was an experience once again to be the only foreigners taking in the perfectly manicured gardens, sidewalks and roads of this well-kept secret/town.

In addition to the constants of food, scooters and sites in this part of the world Vietnam also has an insatiable appetite for cheesy techno pop and karaoke.  An appetite that knows absolutely no limits.  Both Techno and microphone wielding locals come with speakers bigger than a small child and pumped up to tinnitus inducing levels.  Any occasion will do.  From getting ready to go out or come home, 7 nights of the week.  Rolling your speaker on wheels, like a holdall suitcase, for a relaxing family day out on the beach. To a quiet coffee cocoon’d in the dulcet tones of techno bass.  Every country has it’s surprises and this is one we’re learning to adjust to or escape when we can.

The crossing of the Nine Dragons culminated in a ferry trip from Vam Lang to Vung Tau.  Sharing the boat with crates of ducks, pigeons, chickens and rabbits, piled around bags of grain, stacks of scooters and a caravan of locals was a unique few hours.  Though the crossing afforded us the luxury of bypassing Ho Chi Minh. Meeting directly with the southern coast and a chance to air our tarpaulin home for some beach side camping.

Being within a few hours drive of Ho Chi Minh the first stretch of coast is back to back resorts.  Arriving on the weekend we braced the full impact as coach loads of city escapees descended for a retreat to sun and sea.  As the road continued on, sand dunes began to take over the horizon and the beaches and resorts to quieten down. 

We’ve finally found a peaceful spot Northeast of Mui Nei in a backpackers resort.  Having invested in 2 spangly hammocks the tent has been pitched amongst strategically placed trees overlooking the empty white sand beach.  With the temperature keeping high we’ve left the all-weather cover off and drift to sleep with the full moon and jupiter shining down and wake with the sun breaking a new day.

Batteries are recharging.  Hammocks are setting the rhythm for the next few days and we’re rediscovering the blessed simplicity of playing like children amongst the surf and hidden treasures of the sea.

We hope everyone else is well and getting some childlike behaviour in every now and again.

Until next time…Believe!