Vietnam June 2010...exploring the hamlets, Mekong Delta.

What's the weather like in June in the Mekong Delta region where we were?
Daytime average temperature averages about 32 degrees F while it falls to a more comfortable 25 F at night. So you would think it's pretty much similar to Singapore.
Yes, to a large extent but not in terms of the humidity.
I think it's more oppressive over there.
And somehow, I felt there was also less cloud cover over the sky which means you can literally get sunburnt just walking around unprotected.
The cooling effect of winds were also missing unlike here we get sea breezes blown inland.

After that nice untypical Vietnamese lunch, we proceeded to a quiet mud-caked pathway where about 10 horse-drawn buggies were waiting for us.
Each buggie could sit a maximum of 4 persons and pulled by a single horse.
Once all were boarded, the signal was given and the horses moved off along the same path.

There were potholes here and there and the buggie driver tried his best to go round them..not so successful at times. The wheel of my buggie hit one and we were bumped upwards...and down again. The screams and yells I heard from other buggies confirmed the others were also enjoying
this bumper-ti-bump ride very much!
The drivers seemed to enjoy listening to all these thrilling screams probably equating it to a job well done.

The horse buggies, all loaded and moving off.

Wait! Wait! Have we bought insurance yet !!
In this buggie..D2 and Minister Lim Hwee Hua.
Alamak..too late for insurance lah. Hi-ho Silver! Giddy-up
and go..

Unk Dicko came through safely and did not forget to thank

his horse and driver.

This poor horse had to work overtime! But received kind pats

from this group.

Vietcong countryside during the Vietnam war looks exactly

like this. But these are no VCs in the pic.

After the buggie ride, we walked through a forested area to

another hamlet where there is some thriving cottage industry.

You can learn much about the wars in Vietnam, their causes and outcomes,

about the Japanese, French, Chinese and American involvement

from 1942 to 1980 from this Owl...over many cups of coffee.

Anything can be used for a hat..or a Vietnamese hat has many uses.

Can anyone guess what this is used for in this place?

We arrived at a village hub which has a cottage industry.

This one here makes very good sweets and confectionery for

the local market or export.

They handed out some for trying...durian sweets, coconut sweets..

wow, so good...many of us bought a lot of these!