Another day of education starting with a taxi ride at breakneck speed as we endeavour to get to the Sinh Cafe in time to do the "paperwork" and get the bus to the Mekong. Didn't understand a word of the directions as they were barked at me but just got on the bus they were pointing to. Anyway, it's all academic now as everything's been cancelled due to a Hurricane or Tornado or heapum big storm that's about to hit the coast here. Don't know any details yet but just that we go back with all the others tomorrow after being let loose on yet another floating market and then we see what we see. I imagine it will be of a scale of Hurricane Katrina or something.
The Mekong is a broad muddy expanse of water with lines of houses on its banks ranging from "The Good Earth" (Pearl Buck) to El Presidente. We lunched on an island in the middle and were treated to traditional Vietnamese folk songs ending with Auld Lang Syne and a traditional request for money. I weakened and bought a fan which I may be able to use as protection when heapum big storm strikes. Maureen is in charge of the clean water and always has a batch of clean water ready for teeth cleaning and drinking. Had some snake wine to day and found it tasted just like slivowitz. They make much of the fact that it's supposed to have aphrodisiac qualities without actually saying so. Then they say it's good for your back. Must be a local joke like the one about boomerangs coming back. Also saw them make traditional rice crispies which is a Vietnamese form of Rice Bubbles. They should have patented it and made a fortune from Mr Kellog.
On the outskirts of Saigon where the locals lived amongst garbage heaps interspersed with humpies I watched two little old ladies wearing conical hats working their way up the middle of the median strip, oblivious to the traffic of trucks and buses, with a hand trowel replacing sand that had blown onto the road back onto the median strip. Why? Guess I'll never know.
Now we're here in Can Tho and opposite the ramshackle hotel is this internet cafe filled with Dell computers, earphones and a web cam on each computer better than any I had seen in Europe. I've been told there will be more traditional entertainment tonight at the floating restaurant. It's called karaoke. Might do my traditional version of "The Summer of 69" and then tie myself to a tree.
3 comments:
Hello,
Do you have a photo of the snake wine ? Is it the same that I bought online? Because I'm looking to collect different kinds. Thanks.
http://www.snake-wine-cobra.com/
Hi Kay
Re question on snake wine. I have all sorts of wine.
Sure you can purchase it on line. It’s a bit hard to take. You need to kill the snake first otherwise gives you a bit of a tickle. I have a excellent book on the making of snake wine if you would like me to send it to you however would recommend possum wine. Not too many people know about this particular wine but I can assure it will soon be up there with the best Grange we have in Australia or if you are from another part of the world …your box wine.
Hello,
A book about the making of snake wine seems interesting, do you have this file on your computer?
Thanks a lot.
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