This is the first Daily Expedition Report for the voyage heading along the Mekong River, starting in Siem Reap, Cambodia, and finalizing in Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam. I’ve set myself the goal to choose five images I have taken that demonstrate the genuine engagement we are so fortunate to participate in along the way on our journey. I am a naturalist on this expedition, but like the guests I am fortunate enough to be gaining advice and lessons from photography instructor, Doug Lonesman. I’m shooting with a Canon 80D and use a variety of lenses.
2/21/2020
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The Jahan
Sa Dec & Cai Be
On our final full day on board the riverboat Jahan , we cruised further south on the Mekong where we could see changes in the number of other boats as general river traffic increased. The river here was also tidal and we could see mangroves start to appear in places along the banks. After breakfast we embarked onto local longboats for our transfer to the nearby island of Binh Thanh. One of many islands within the Mekong Delta which is criss-crossed by many canals and rivers. Along the way to the island we passed many small fish farms that are directly within the river, these rafts of floating houses with arrayed ponds raise tilapia and basa (a type of catfish). All along the narrow waterways, we also passed large floating mats of water hyacinth forming dense impenetrable barriers in places. On arrival at our dock our longboat paused to make way for the local ferry transporting a number of locals on motorcycles across to the mainland for their early morning commute to work. Our visit to this small community involved a stroll through the streets to a local temple that also serves as a local community centre. We had the opportunity to meet with one of the elders and understand how Vietnam has grown in recent decades and how they embrace peace and welcome American tourism to their country. We also had the opportunity to see how woven mats were weaved and how dried water hyacinth can be used to weave baskets. In the afternoon we visited another village via longboat to see how puffed rice, sugar palm treats, and rice wine were created. In the evening on board Jahan , over a farewell cocktail party we shared our appreciation to the wonderful crew and later enjoyed the voyage slideshow in the lounge.
