We rose early and disembarked Jahan via sampans to visit Chau Doc, a busy village market along the Bassac River. One group toured the live market via an exhilarating trishaw ride around the town. Everyone was busy preparing for New Year’s, dotting the streets with yellow mai, peach and apricot blossoms, marigolds, and chrysanthemums. In addition, many Vietnamese residents were preparing food for New Year’s Eve. The other group of guests visited a fish farm where the owner feeds fish under their house, a common business in the Mekong Delta. Returning to the ship, guests enjoyed tai chi and ate breakfast, followed by a ship tour of the mechanical and crew quarters.
After lunch onboard, guests attended the remarkable presentation by Cultural Specialist David Brotherson entitled, “The Cambodian Wedding Experience”. Guests then departed Jahan for an outing in My An Hung. Surrounded by chili and rice fields, members of the village welcomed us with traditional music, a house visit, and local fruit tasting. The evening concluded with dinner and dancing on the terrace, followed by a presentation by Photo Instructor Linda Burback on “Creativity with your Images.”
