The Mekong River.  On every level it’s a big deal.  The 12^th longest river in the world, it rises in Tibet and flows through every country in Southeast Asia before draining into the South China Sea in Vietnam.  And it is on the Mekong delta in Vietnam that I am staying, in a homestay in Vĩnh Long.

Inevitably, the homestay is reached by boat.  Without going into precise GPS co-ordinates, I first travel down a wide bit of the Mekong before veering off into a narrow bit of the Mekong.  If I sound vague, it is because I am.  I have literally no idea where I am.  If I was asked to point to my location on a map, I would be lucky if I picked a spot within a hundred kilometres of it.  But that fact might give some idea of the scale of the Mekong.  Or of my ineptitude at map reading.

It is sunset by the time we arrive.  I am on dry land but, beyond that, I still have little idea of my location.  It is fully dark by the time I am shown where I will be spending the night.  The room is nice.  Very nice.  Much nicer than I had expected.  It is spartan but spacious.  Two double beds.  Both fitted with mosquito nets, I am pleased to see.  A big ceiling fan. The bathroom?  Well, there is a curtained-off door in the far wall.  I wonder where that goes?

And there is the bathroom.  Western-style toilet.  Rainfall-style shower.  All very nice, too.  Nice view of the stars overhead as an added bonus.

It is not until I go back into my bedroom that the penny drops.  Nice view of the stars?  I suddenly realise that my bathroom has no ceiling.  The rainfall-shower is literally a rainfall shower.  My toilet is open-air.  A big banana tree providing a nod towards privacy.

Supper proves to be an open-air feast, too.  A sumptuous buffet, from which I choose some local river fish, barbecued prawns, and some sticky rice wrapped up in a banana leaf, of which I am not a great fan.

I also decided to pass on the snake wine.

© E. C. Glendenny

E. C. Glendenny thoroughly enjoyed her stay on the Mekong.