Cruising down into the Mekong Delta, 12/25/2019, The Jahan
Aboard the
The Jahan
Vietnam & Cambodia aboard The Jahan
For our last evening in Cambodia we had a very special performance and gift exchange with children from the Organization for Basic Training (OBT) followed by professional Apsara dancing on the top deck of the ship. In the morning, guest speaker Jean Michel Fillippi brought the history of Cambodia and the Khmer Rouge period into focus and began to illuminate the complex history between Cambodia and Vietnam. At sunset, we cruised down the Tan Chau canal, mesmerized by the massive aquaculture enterprises that flourish here.
Eza grew up outside of Washington, D.C. with parents that encouraged her to explore the United States extensively before adventuring abroad. After completing degrees in environmental science and economics from the University of Virginia she moved int...
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.
