The home of Huynh Thuy Lee – 255A Nguyen Hue Street in Sa Dec – was the setting for the novel and film, The Lover. Photo \u00a9 2013 Aaron Saunders<\/p><\/div>\n
If you\u2019ve never seen The Lover<\/i>, you should \u2013 it is a fantastic movie, and it certainly doesn\u2019t hurt that it was filmed right where we were today, at the actual house of Huynh Thuy Le. Formerly utilised as a reception house for a branch of the Vietnamese government, it has only been open to the public since 2009.<\/p>\nA close-up of the sumptuous detail at the interior of Huynh Thuy Le. Photo \u00a9 2013 Aaron Saunders<\/p><\/div>\n
After our brief visit, the folks who had elected to return to the AmaLotus<\/i> left and were guided back to the waiting boats that would take them to the ship, while those like me continuing on were brought swiftly aboard two motorcoaches that would take us on the hour-long, 53 kilometre journey to Xeo Quyt.<\/p>\n
Utilised as a base during the Vietnam War, the jungle at Xeo Quyt is surprisingly dense. Although sheltered from the force of the sun, it is probably ten degrees hotter inside the jungle than it is outside due to the humidity.<\/p>\n
Walking through the jungle at Xeo Quyt, used during the Vietnam War. Photo \u00a9 2013 Aaron Saunders<\/p><\/div>\n
Although the pathways have been modernized for tourists, many of these are raised as much as two metres off the ground and have no handrails, so it is important to watch your step, lest you end up in the murky abyss below.<\/p>\n
There are still party tents and command bases that remain here, as they were used by the Viet Cong. There are also underground tunnels, bunkers, and fox holes that help to illustrate just how formidable the jungle terrain was here, and how well the Vietnamese knew how to use it to their advantage.<\/p>\n
Fox holes and tunnels still litter the grounds. Photo \u00a9 2013 Aaron Saunders<\/p><\/div>\n
The forest here is exceptionally dense. This passing boat could only be seen when it was right upon us. Photo \u00a9 2013 Aaron Saunders<\/p><\/div>\n
We took a fantastic, hour-long walk on a circular route through the jungle, even passing a section of land fenced off with razor wire and dotted with signs stating that land mines could be present beyond the fence.<\/p>\n
Coming here also helps to understand what the American soldiers who were sent here during the Vietnam War were up against: a climate unlike anything they had ever experienced. Terrain that was totally foreign to them. And Vietnamese soldiers willing to do whatever it took to prevent them from their goal.<\/p>\n
It was a very revealing and eye-opening hour.<\/p>\n
The sign on the right warns of the dangers of landmines beyond this point. Photo \u00a9 2013 Aaron Saunders<\/p><\/div>\n
After our tour, we enjoyed a relaxing ride back to the AmaLotus<\/i>, where we had just enough time to enjoy lunch before setting out to our next adventure: a tour of Cai Be.<\/p>\nPhoto \u00a9 2013 Aaron Saunders<\/p><\/div>\n
At lunch, I restricted myself to the local specialties, which were tremendous. Vietnamese-styled soups and dishes, all with no nuts. I even had a local Vietnamese beer. One of the best aspects of river cruising: all the local ingredients and specialties, served within the comfort of a ship where you unpack once and don\u2019t need to worry about the logistics of transportation.<\/p>\n
But during lunch, dark clouds had been building. By the time my Blue Group was called, the skies were threatening to open up at any moment.<\/p>\n
And did they ever!<\/p>\n
After lunch, the monsoons came out as we neared Cai Be, pictured above. Photo \u00a9 2013 Aaron Saunders<\/p><\/div>\n
Halfway across the river on our boat ride into Cai Be, it started raining harder than I had ever seen it. The Monsoon Season was in full swing. But \u2013 because everyone on the AmaLotus<\/i> had reminded us constantly to take either an umbrella or a poncho, I just ripped open my poncho pack and started to put it on.<\/p>\n
The rain was coming in sideways at this point, but did I care? No! In fact, I felt better during the rain in the afternoon than I had all morning, because the humidity suddenly evaporated. Not everyone in my group appeared to agree, and there was suddenly a huge push to go back to the AmaLotus<\/i> and scrap touring altogether, which I and about three others strongly resisted.<\/p>\n
I flew 12,000 kilometres to see Vietnam, and I\u2019d be darned if a downpour was going to stop me. Plus, I was already soaked, so it didn\u2019t really matter much!<\/p>\n
Watching how rice paper is made. It’s also surprisingly tasty with a little bit of soy sauce. Photo \u00a9 2013 Aaron Saunders<\/p><\/div>\n
To satisfy everyone, our tour guide re-arranged things so that we toured the rice paper and candy factories first before walking the short distance to the French Gothic cathedral. It was a plan that worked perfectly, as the worst of the rain had let up by then.<\/p>\n
At the factories, we were invited to sample traditional coconut candy, freshly-made rice paper rolls, and to enjoy some jasmine tea, which was superb. We also had the opportunity to try what’s known as the “Asian Viagra” – Snake Wine, or R\u01b0\u1ee3u thu\u1ed1c<\/i>, literally meaning “medicinal liquor.” Large, venomous snakes are inserted into an enormous cask of rice wine and are left to steep there for many months.<\/p>\nDifferent varieties of traditional Vietnamese liquor; this one is made from rice wine, with a cobra and scorpion. Naturally, bringing this kind of liquor home is out of the question. Photo \u00a9 2013 Aaron Saunders<\/p><\/div>\n
The one I, along with a few others, tried was made from Cobras. The alcohol neutralizes the deadly properties of the cobra venom, while the cobra blood is thought to have curing effects for everything from hair loss to sexual dysfunction. I didn’t notice anything different in particular, but I do have to say: it tasted mighty good, and went down as smooth as a fine glass of scotch.<\/p>\n
Some images from the afternoon:<\/p>\n
Making popcorn, the traditional way. Photo \u00a9 2013 Aaron Saunders<\/p><\/div>\n
One of the guests aboard the AmaLotus gets adventurous with one of the rather large pythons at the factory. Don’t worry – he’s safe! Photo \u00a9 2013 Aaron Saunders<\/p><\/div>\n
Enjoying jasmine tea and some treats before heading back into the rain! Photo \u00a9 2013 Aaron Saunders<\/p><\/div>\n
Cai Be’s French-style Cathedral. Photo \u00a9 2013 Aaron Saunders<\/p><\/div>\n
Inside the Cathedral;a salute to Our Lady of Neon Lighting. Photo \u00a9 2013 Aaron Saunders<\/p><\/div>\n
Re-boarding our boats for the scenic trip back to the mid-stream anchorage of the AmaLotus! Photo \u00a9 2013 Aaron Saunders<\/p><\/div>\n
This evening was a bittersweet one, as it marked our last night aboard the beautiful AmaLotus<\/i>. Shipboard accounts could be settled in cash from 1:30 to 6:00pm, or by cash or credit card from 8:00 pm until 10:30pm. It was an easy and efficient process, but if you plan on paying by credit card, ensure you have a PIN-enabled one. I met one fellow traveller who had to go and get cash from her stateroom because her non-PIN credit card would not go through.<\/p>\nAnother fantastic dinner is served aboard the AmaLotus. Photo \u00a9 2013 Aaron Saunders<\/p><\/div>\n
Tonight, there was a traditional folkloric presentation in the Mekong Lounge, followed by the Captain\u2019s Farewell Cocktail & Crew Presentation. This was followed by another sumptuous, multi-course meal in the Mekong Restaurant. I know there\u2019s the old joke about people on cruises doing nothing but eating, but I have to say I\u2019ve looked forward to dinners more aboard the AmaLotus<\/i> than on any ship I can think of, save for perhaps those onboard Silversea ships.<\/p>\n
Tomorrow, we arrive in the Vietnamese port of My Tho, near Ho Chi Minh City, and although our cruise will come to a close in just a few short hours, there\u2019s still another day of adventures ahead on this great journey down the Mekong!<\/p>\n
Photo \u00a9 2013 Aaron Saunders<\/p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
A Day in Sa Dec and Cai Be aboard the AmaLotus Aaron Saunders, Live Voyage Reports AmaWaterways\u2019 AmaLotus moored mid-stream last night just off of the picturesque Vietnamese town of Sa Dec. Modernization is much more obvious here than in Cambodia; on our boat journey from the AmaLotus into town for the start of our […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":11008,"parent":54,"menu_order":7,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","template":"","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","footnotes":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/rivercruiseadvisor.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/21088"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/rivercruiseadvisor.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/rivercruiseadvisor.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rivercruiseadvisor.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rivercruiseadvisor.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=21088"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/rivercruiseadvisor.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/21088\/revisions"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rivercruiseadvisor.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/54"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rivercruiseadvisor.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/11008"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/rivercruiseadvisor.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=21088"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}