Today was our last full day on the river, and it was one full of exciting and new opportunities. Early risers were rewarded with a beautiful sunrise cruise as we headed towards our morning destination of Binh Tanh Island at Sa Đéc, where we boarded a local longboat to explore the narrow channels of the delta. The villages on Binh Tanh are known for making the reed mats that are used throughout Southeast Asia. This was a fantastic opportunity for photography as we explored the small village and watched the locals using traditional methods to weave. We then walked to a local community center, where we met with two of the village elders who shared their story about their long lives in Vietnam over past decades. It was a fascinating account of the pre-war years and life after the Vietnam war.
In the afternoon, we visited another local community called Cái Bè. We used the same boats from the morning to cruise the waterfront, and it was a great look at river life as we passed fish farms and stilted houses along the shoreline. Cái Bè is well known as main producer of rice paper and coconut candies, and it was fascinating to watch the process of how these local goods were hand made step by step. After returning to the ship, we had cocktails on the deck as we cruised during sunset and celebrated a wonderful week cruising the Mekong on board Jahan.
