Our overnight trip started bright and early: skipping breakfast because I slept without packing, and boarding our trusty bus that we go everywhere in. The drive was a solid three-ish hours, so I spent my time listening to my music and/or snoozing. We also did some karaoke in the bus, which was super fun and made the time pass quickly! We were at our resort in the blink of an eye.
The scenery around the resort was magnificent. There were trees and greenery in every direction, something I am not familiar with back home. I think the picture shown should speak for itself, no words needed.
After regrouping from our post-lunch rest, we all made our way to what I can only describe as the waterpark(?) section of the resort. First order of business: change into matching brown pajama-like outfits. Loose, a little heavy, but better than just a bathing suit — or so I thought. We rode over to a large pool of murky brown water with obstacles dangling ominously above it. Did we have to do those over the water? I wondered. (We did.)
We split into two teams, I was on team two, and kicked things off with rock, paper, scissors. Simple enough: losers jump in, winners run to the back of the line. When my turn came, I lost. Great. I plunged in and immediately felt the mushy earth beneath me, soft and squishy in a way that can only be described as walking on rotten bananas. I cringed, sucked it up, and waded back to the group. My team ended up winning, which was a relief, mostly because it meant I could finally get out. Those soaked clothes felt like an extra 20 pounds.
The main event was a colorful “bridge,” and I use that term loosely, where both teams lined up and tried to knock each other off. The rules were that girls could use their limbs, but boys could not. A disadvantage for the guys? Absolutely. Did I feel bad about it? Not particularly. We won the first round so cleanly that I didn’t even get a turn, which meant I was up first for round two. I’d like to think I was a valuable asset, I knocked two people off and dragged a third down with me on my way out. We still lost the round, though.
Last up was fishing with traditional traps. I’d had enough mud between my toes for one day, so I watched from the sidelines as my friends waded in and eventually caught at least one fish. The highlight was less the catching and more everyone being spooked the moment a fish actually appeared.
With the activities wrapped up, we headed back to change and regroup before dinner at 7:00. The gap in between was spent at the pool (a very welcome change from murky brown water). Dinner brought the usual spread of grilled squid, rice, and fish, plus a new addition: karaoke. At this point it’s clear that karaoke is simply the ideal way to hang out here, and honestly, I’m fully on board.
The next morning, we were ready and waiting by 5:30am to go to the floating market. The market was quite far by boat, but the atmosphere on the water made up for it, especially because it was nice and cool without the sun high above us. The market was essentially made up of many boats of various sizes in a section of a river and locals could bring their boats to others and buy or exchange goods. I found this kind of setup to be so cool, especially for everything to be on the water. Nothing like this could persist back home, with the introduction and quick assimilation of convenience technology and services, like DoorDash and even supermarkets. There was an air of authenticity throughout the market and I caught myself wondering about how much effort it takes to sell products here. Every day, sellers pack their boats with carefully prepared goods and head out onto the water with no guarantee of who will be there or how much they’ll sell. It’s a livelihood built entirely on consistency, trust, and community. There aren’t any algorithms, no delivery windows, just people and boats and the river. The only comfort is that other people will be there with the same goal as you, sailing the waters for sales between the tourists and other sellers. The dedication to keep using this water market as opposed to land markets and stores is more than respectable.
While so many other things happened, the events of note were described to the best of my ability here. There is only so much you can write about, even in a place like the Mekong delta where days are slow but full of life. It was a great break from the city, but I miss my Victory Hotel breakfast.