Setting off from Saigon we headed across the Mekong delta on our way to Phu Quoc Island. We realised that time was quickly passing us by, leaving us less time to explore the delta as much as we would have liked.
We stopped off at Can Tho, one of the bigger towns in the area which is known for its floating markets. This was a short stay but we managed to get up at a ridiculous hour of the morning to get a small local boat to visit one of these markets. Being tight travelers we opted for just a driver and no guide to save on money. Despite this choice our friendly boat driver had good English and an amazing skill of weaving leaves and bamboo into roses, grasshoppers and even a full jewelry set for both of us as she drove us to the market. The market itself was full of local produce (mainly fruit and veg) but there were also a few boats selling breakfast and hot drinks which came in very handy to warm ourselves up after a huge unexpected downpour. Our scenic route back saw our lady boat driver put us to work as Angie watered the crops and Ben ended up walking the tiniest of bamboo bridges.
Swiftly moving on we caught the bus to Rach Gia. Not a particularly exciting place but was a useful stop over ready to catch the ferry early the next day.
Phu Quoc is a beautiful island just off the coast where Vietnam meets Cambodia. This was a few days to relax before heading into Cambodia and I don’t think we could have chosen a better place. From our bungalow it was about a 5 meter walk to the beach where was hardly had a person around.
On our arrival to the main town on Phu Quoc we were surrounded by the usual hassle that we had come to expect. On trying to escape we were greeted by two French guys in their late 40’s / early 50’s on motorbikes accompanied by a younger Vietnamese lady. These guys were amazingly helpful. They took us back to their house, made us coffee, ordered us a motorbike and helped drive our gear over to our new home, helping us get a good deal in the process. Over the next couple of days we occasionally met up with them at a local French restaurant.
They were the youngest two of four brothers and obviously were the ‘bad boys’ of the family and they definitely had character. Steph the older brother had left France for a new life in Vietnam and had plans to open a hostel with his new Vietnamese lady and his brother Thomas was visiting his big bro. Following our stay on the island we found ourselves occasionally throwing in the odd French mannerism at the end of our sentences and gesticulated wildly with our hands when excited.
When we weren’t hanging out at the local French restaurant we did occasionally soak up some sun or go and explore a different beach or fishing village. It was an incredibly hard few days.
