After breakfast we are amused to see sampan tourist boats approach the Spirit which has cruised downstream to anchor near Cai Be. We are loaded in three groups onto the sampans and carried past floating market homes to an ancient colonial house. The house is now maintained by a prominent local family and has been preserved with displays honouring ancestors and gods. We are impressed by the beauty of the local grounds as we wonder through lovely gardens while avoiding the occasional motorcycle.
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| Preserved colonial house |
Next it's back into the sampan and a short trip back down the river tributary to the town. We dock at a large covered store. Behind that is a candy factory. We observe the workers actively engaged in boiling down coconut milk to manufacture a caramel-style candy. Next door another group is making puffed rice treats. Duc also tells us about "snake wine", a potent liquor aged and bottled with a snake's carcass.
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| candy factory |
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| No, you can't take her home, Sue |
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| A nip of this could take the chill off a Canadian winter night |
The tourists get a chance to pose with a very large serpent posed around their shoulders. Everyone in our group partakes, with the exception of Alan, who is struggling with the effects of the tropical heat.
The day is warming up terribly, and we feel it moreso in these buildings with a lack of airflow and several wood-burning stoves. We're all glad to return to the Spirit for a chance to swim, cool down, and enjoy a bit of lunch.
During lunch the spirit has cruised a bit upriver to Sa Bec and our next stop is in the middle of the town, and we meander through the local market. Fresh fruits and vegetables are on display, along with live & killed fish, eels, frogs and snails. Meat and fish are being chopped, skinned and descaled. The smell proves too much for Nadine, who has been struggling with stomach issues for the past day or more. The bustling market does provide sensory overload, with the sounds of vendors calling out their wares, the smells and incredible sights at every turn.
We backtrack through some side streets and stop at a colonial-era house that was decorated in oriental style by its' Chinese owners and later became famous as the setting for a novel and movie about young Chinese lovers. The afternoon heat and boring lecture almost put us to sleep, but the clincher is when we are served tea and Dan observes the workers just lightly dipping the used teacups in a tub of water, then refilling them for the next group.
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| the ornate Lover's Home |
Traveling in SE Asia as a westerner, one is naturally concerned about picking up germs to which our immune systems are not accustomed. We have come to be very impressed by Duc and the other Scenic crew members who always seem ready with antiseptic hand spray when we are venturing on or off the ship. The thought of staff at this tourist house quickly dipping teacups in water then serving to another group of guests without properly washing makes us shudder.
Once again, we are feeling the effects of the heat and are happy to return to the swimming pool. This becomes a recurring theme. The onboard pool is situated on an open deck and is about 3x7 metres in size, half shaded and a temperature that is cool enough to be refreshing, without providing a shock when we first climb in. We are amazed that so few of the other guests take advantage of this feature.
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| our second home |
The evening meal is a la carte, and is simply delicious. We enjoy the company of Allan and Judy, a couple from New Orleans area who spent almost 36 hours traveling to join our group on the day we sailed. They have done many cruises and other trips, and we quite enjoy hearing their tales. Despite his bravado, Alan can't outlast Dan this evening, and he once again heads off to bed a little early.
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