Can Tho

We left Chau Doc to go to a home stay in Can Tho. Home stays are basically family run guesthouses giving people insights to Vietnamese houses and lifestyles. While we were on the journey, we stopped at a floating village. On the boat, we pulled in next to a house on water to see their fish farm under their house and also how they make the fish food.

Afterwards we went to a Cham village. Chams are Muslims. We bought lots of home-made silk scarves. The house had lots of marks drawn on the outside where water had reached during floods. In 1996 the water level would have reached the middle of their 1st floor which is a rise of about 12m.

We then went to a temple where people give offerings such as whole pigs, cakes, gold and costumes to a God called Lady Jusa. However…seeing as no God comes to take it, the guards staff and local people either take it themselves or give it to the poor.

Afterwards, we drove up to the top of a mountain to see the view and walked right down to the bottom. It was boiling hot! 

We went to a restaurant where we had frog! Even though it tasted a bit like chicken, I couldn't get over the fact that I was eating frog. It wasn't legs it was the whole frog. Dad said frogs legs were nice and lean and tasted like chicken but this was different!

When we came out of the restaurant there was a little two year old girl. She was quite shy but interested in Aoife and we had a few photos with her. They are all so happy.

We drove for miles and miles before finally stopping at the side of a road to board a small boat to our home stay and we were welcomed by the owner and his two dogs. Our room had an open window, bamboo walls, and thin mattresses with mosquito nets around them. Later, we made and cooked our own spring rolls and Vietnamese pancakes.

It felt very natural listening to the noise of the countryside with all the birds and the crickets making their noises. But, when you want to go to bed, they need to shut up!