Kampong Tralach & Koh Oaknha Island, 3/15/2018, The Jahan
Aboard the
The Jahan
Vietnam & Cambodia aboard The Jahan
It was an exciting start to the day as we boarded our traditional two-wheeled oxcart and traveled through rice paddies stopping to inspect a lotus flower field. We then piled into a remok (a type of people carrier) and took a short journey to the local grammar school where we were able to interact with teachers and very enthusiastic students.
After lunch we visited a Theravada Buddhist Pagoda and we were able to ask the local Buddhist Monk a variety of questions. We then jumped into a tuk-tuk and rode through the countryside to visit a small silk farm.
Martin grew up in Melbourne Australia playing cricket and Australian Rules football. While growing up, to his parents’ dismay, Martin brought home and kept a menagerie of wildlife including frogs, lizards, turtles and even poisonous snakes!
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On our final full day on board the riverboat Jahan , we cruised further south on the Mekong where we could see changes in the number of other boats as general river traffic increased. The river here was also tidal and we could see mangroves start to appear in places along the banks. After breakfast we embarked onto local longboats for our transfer to the nearby island of Binh Thanh. One of many islands within the Mekong Delta which is criss-crossed by many canals and rivers. Along the way to the island we passed many small fish farms that are directly within the river, these rafts of floating houses with arrayed ponds raise tilapia and basa (a type of catfish). All along the narrow waterways, we also passed large floating mats of water hyacinth forming dense impenetrable barriers in places. On arrival at our dock our longboat paused to make way for the local ferry transporting a number of locals on motorcycles across to the mainland for their early morning commute to work. Our visit to this small community involved a stroll through the streets to a local temple that also serves as a local community centre. We had the opportunity to meet with one of the elders and understand how Vietnam has grown in recent decades and how they embrace peace and welcome American tourism to their country. We also had the opportunity to see how woven mats were weaved and how dried water hyacinth can be used to weave baskets. In the afternoon we visited another village via longboat to see how puffed rice, sugar palm treats, and rice wine were created. In the evening on board Jahan , over a farewell cocktail party we shared our appreciation to the wonderful crew and later enjoyed the voyage slideshow in the lounge.
On Jahan , we spend our first day exploring in Vietnam. We set off early at 6:30 a.m. for our first excursion to explore the town of Chau Doc by long boat. Our first stop was the floating markets then we went ashore to see the town. We started with a local transport ride of bicycle taxis through the city, then explored the morning market. We returned to the ship for breakfast. Our local guide, Tri, did a presentation on Life in the Mekong Delta. In the afternoon, we explored the local produce farms near My An Hung. Then, we had appetizers and drinks on shore on the My An Hung sandbank!
On Jahan , we left Phnom Penh to sail to cross the border to Vietnam towards Chau Doc. We spent the entire day at sea filled with tons of activities and talks on board to dig deeper into the history of Cambodia and learn more about our next location in Vietnam. We were also joined by our Vietnamese guides who will be with us the rest of the trip.
