Our last stop on the Mekong Delta was Ben Tre, a small-ish town that has largely managed to escape the tourist trail. For that reason, it has been my favorite place in the Vietnam so far. In the three days we were there, we literally saw one other traveler, a British guy staying across the hall in our cheap hotel. Aside from that, the lack of tourists was made obvious by what a spectacle we were. We couldn't walk down the street without hearing regular shouts of "hello!", most often from an adorable child who would giggle when we said hello back. Not only did people stare, but they were definitely not shy about it - a few kids even followed us around for a while. Very few restaurant menus had English translations, and non-Vietnamese food was nowhere to be found - though we had some excellent meals for less than $1USD.
One morning we rented two rickety old bicycles to explore the surrounding area. We crossed the river on a footbridge to the other bank, where we soon discovered a network of paths. They started out narrow and cement, crisscrossing different waterways, eventually becoming dirt. We rode under a thick canopy of trees, past huge ferns, palms, and colorful flowering bushes. Side paths led up to quaint and beautiful homes, most guarded by dogs who were not happy to see us! We had a few close calls, with dogs chasing us as we pedaled for dear life. We also came upon a colorful yet crumbling Chinese Buddhist temple, whose floor was littered with leaves. Not a soul was around, though offerings sat on the mantle.
Ben Tre was a place where we did no real sightseeing - the kind of place where watching daily life happen is the most enjoyable and rewarding thing to do.
