Day 9

June 26th,  We started off our day by packing up our belongings and heading out to the Mekong Delta. After a quick breakfast we went out on a two and a half hour drive. We all slept which was nice. This bus drive concluded on the Mekong River were we had a lunch on a local dock.
Afterwards, we met our new mote of transportation, a riverboat! We also met one of our new tour guides while we traverse the Mekong, Hao.

In addition, we went to a pottery mill and learned the process in which pots and clay items are molded, cooked, and produced. The clay is firstly pressed into large spaghetti-like strands and group them together in large piles. The clay strands are then placed into molds, and an axe like tool is brought down to push the clay to the outermost part of the mold. A skilled pottery maker with a steady hand guides the clay to make sure it shapes properly. After this process the mold is removed leaving the shaped clay to be dried and cooked.

Following the pottery mill we made it to the homestay, one of the most beautiful and amazing places we have seen so far. The house is on the riverfront and overlooks the area.

We were greeted with open arms as we met the family and began to settle in. Then the rain hit us once again. Hard and fast it came pouring down, get ready for more slow mo rain. When the sky settled a little the group headed out to meet one of the most interesting and unique individuals we have come across, a former  Vietcong Commander. This experienced man told us stories of the war and the trials and tribulations he faced while commanding a platoon. We also filmed an interview with him and got to ask him questions relative to our documentary.

Next, we returned to the homestay for some much needed rest and free time, which was spent exploring our new area. After the rain subsided a beautiful rainbow formed in the sky over the river, the image was breathtaking and made us reflect upon our trip so far.

At 6:30 PM the homestay family called us in, tonight it was our job to prepare the dinner. We learned how to make traditional vietnamese spring rolls with taro root, butter, and egg. Some of us were better at rolling together the food then others ( Christine and Evan were pros). We then went to sit down and eat dinner. This dinner consisted of a deep fried fish that we could pull from, a ramen dish, chicken soup, and the spring rolls we made earlier. All of which were remarkably delicious. For desert we had jackfruit and pineapple and like all fruit in Vietnam, was extremely good.
After dinner the homestay family did a traditional musical performance, similar to theatre. The performance consisted of different costumes, songs and acting. It was remarkably fun to watch and clap along to the rhythm.

This concluded our first afternoon in the Mekong Delta and we are excited and ready to see what this area of Vietnam has in store!