We had two days here and on the first day, we visited the Mekong River. We were picked up by air conditioned van (it was 36 or so degrees C) and driven about an hour and a half outside the city. Our guide was Mai Nguyen Thuy.

Saigon (the locals informally use the old name) is filled with scooters. They have their own fenced-in lanes on the busy road to Mekong but in most places they and the cars overlap. Safety rules are odd, such as you can have several children onboard but only if the kids are age 8 and under. We saw one scooter that had two adults plus two young kids all on one scooter!

Once we got to the Mekong River, we boarded a largish boat for a short journey out onto the river. Our first stop was a farm to see the crops and a traditional house. Each farm has several homes on it to accommodate the growing number of couples in the family. As usual, the houses were built off the ground.

We had a snack of local fruits with a cup of tea. The jack fruit, an orange coloured fruit tasted a bit artificial, like Juicy Fruit gum. We also had very small ladyfinger bananas and pink dragon fruit. Do try this at home - dip fresh pineapple in salt. Interesting flavour! These farm families are quite self-sufficient. Apart from the fruits and some vegetables, they raise chickens in the farmyard and fish in their rainwater-filled tanks. Before we left, we were treated to a short concert of Vietnamese folk songs played on traditional instruments.

Then we walked to two small outdoor workshops. One made rice paper wrappers makers and the other was a candy maker. To make the rice paper, they make a slurry of ground rice and then put some in a stretched sheet over a fire. A lid comes down to cover the top and keep the heat in.

The candy maker starts with fresh coconuts and the by-products of the coconut is used too for coconut oil soap. It was interesting to see the long cooking process over a wood fire and then making the taffy and cutting and wrapping it.

From there, we took a pony cart ride to a canal where we boarded sampans, small flat bottomed  boats. It was very pleasant going down the shady narrow canal that had water coconuts growing alongside in the water. Quiet too because these boats were rowed, not motorized.

Then we rejoined our larger tour boat for a run back to the marina where our van and driver was waiting. We had a very late lunch at Mekong Rest Stop which is lovely with a lily pond and roofed outdoor eating areas. We had a set meal that included a very ugly fish (elephant ear) that was served like it was standing up. The waitress make fresh spring rolls from the fish for us.

Then back to the ship. And a shower!

Day two, we met the same guide and driver and the rest of our group of eight at 7:30 am. Mai is knowledgeable and friendly. We had a short day because the Nautica  was leaving at 3:00 to catch the tide.

First we headed for the posh area near the city hall and the best hotels. Mai warned us about scooter riders who grab your stuff as they ride by. And didn't it happen to AJ who had a very large camera with fancy lenses? The guy grabbed his camera and wristwatch. The thief dropped the watch but got away with the camera and all his trip photos. AJ got a bit of a scrap on his chest and a wrenched back but didn't fall. We were all a bit paranoid after that.

We went to the catholic cathedral modelled on Notre Dame in Paris. There is a statue of Mary, ”queen of peace" in front and Frances noticed on woman putting her hand on the statue and praying. Looked more like an Eastern approach than traditional Catholic.

We also visited the beautiful post office which was designed by Gustave Eiffel of the tower fame. Frances sent a postcard to our grandchildren.

We also looked at the children doing exercises before school and at the mad rush hour traffic. Crossing at a crosswalk is insane: you just put your hand our and walk. They do stop for you - sort of! Once Mai got across but we didn't. We all hesitated because of a bus. She came back for us and this time we were successful!

We saw a variety of other historical buildings and then headed for the history museum. Tons of kids there, some of whom greeted us. Although not a large museum, there were a few particularly interesting things:  a Marcus Aurelius coin found locally and some pieces from Angkhor Wat in Cambodia. There were also some slim Buddhas, one of which was long, made of wood and resembled an Etruscan statue. There was also a water puppetry stage, a pool with a place at one side for the puppeteers to manipulate their stick puppets. This Hanoi area tradition has spread elsewhere in Vietnam. We had to be content with viewing it from the restaurant upstairs which overlooked the courtyard because all performances that day were booked by school groups.

We had a very early lunch but since we were eating upstairs in the museum, it made sense. And we were hungry after our very early room service breakfast. We had noodles made from banana flowers as well as rice, two meat dishes, bok choy, and spring rolls. The plates were all decorated with beautifully carver flower carrots.

We went by van to the jade pagoda, a Buddhist temple where we saw different "chapels" and heard about practices which seemed a mix of Buddhism and Taoism. We went to a market where one of our group managed to wangle a good bargain from one seller. Jan was impressive! Then we went to a tax / tourist mall where there was no bargaining but has higher class merchandise. It was a good place to spend our last dong!

Back on board, we swapped out our camera memory cards and put in fresh empty ones. A little insurance against theft!