We were scheduled to have a 4 day - 3 night cruise on the Gecko Eyes I going from Can Tho to Tan Chau. When we boarded we were informed by our guide, De, that our itinerary was 2 nights on the boat and then 1 night at the Victoria Hotel in Chau Doc. I explained that wasn't satisfactory. Unfortunately, it wasn't cleared up until the last day. As a result, our itinerary wasn't as originally planned. It was still a very good trip and De was an excellent guide.
The Gecko Eyes I is a small boat with one cabin. On board for our trip was a crew of 4 plus Granny and me. The entire crew was excellent. In addition to De (He said we should call him Dave.), there was our chef - Dung, the mechanic - Tai, and the captain - Hai. Every meal was a treat. The crew was very helpful assisting Granny on and off the boat, finding the easiest places to disembark and embark, and generally taking care of all our needs.
The Mekong delta is a VERY busy and fascinating place. Life is bustling along the banks AND in the river. Rather than try to give a blow by blow description of the cruise, I'm going to show a lot of pictures that I hope capture the feel of the Mekong. Most won't have an individual explanation. Now and then I might interject a comment.
Before I get into the "travelogue" pictures a few words about the food and the boat. Our chef, Dung, was exceptional! EVERY meal was beautifully prepared and presented. Our first meal set the tone. It was a fresh fish (picture on left) that was delicious and if you look closely was presented well. All meals were fresh local foods. The fish soup on the right - a Vietnamese standard. Fresh prawns with a cucumber carved and decorated to look like a crab. That's just a couple of examples. All meals were equally delicious.
Above is Granny relaxing as we make our way up the Mekong toward Cambodia.
A word of explanation about the picture on the left. You may recall from the Hoi An page that Vietnam had won its semi-final match in the soccer tournament. Well the day we were visiting this market was the day of the final match. And everywhere people were tuned into the match.
