Jack, Gemma, Thomas and I rode out of Saigon on Monday 18 June. 
We arrived at My Tho late in the evening and were met by a Vietnamese welcoming party of one. This would become a common occurrence, guys waiting for tourists to rock in to town, to either rip off or divert to their friends hotels etc. The moto guy showed us a grand hotel on the river front that had very cheap rooms, but we still wanted to check that it was comparably cheap.
After checking out the main town we realized that the moto guy was following us around. But his hotel was amazing value, so we stayed. The next day we did a boat tour taking in Unicorn Island where we sampled tea with local honey, saw some big snakes, were shown around shanty markets and sampled some fruit. Then it was off to the island of the Coconut Monk (religious sect) before going to a small coconut candy factory and seeing how it was produced, from tree to wrapper. Part of the tour also included holding massive pythons and visiting a crocodile farm.
In the afternoon we set off for Cai Be and the famous floating markets. We got massively lost on the way but ended up riding though some of the most beautiful villages on roads (footpaths) overgrown with trees. After seeing a scary monkey bridge (bamboo) and crossing a few rivers by dodgy ferry and bridges, we arrived in Cai Be. I get the feeling Cai Be is only ever visited by rich tourists during the day, with none staying overnight. Many lowlights (continual tries to overcharge, being woken by drunk hotel owner singing karaoke at 3am etc), but the highlights had to be seeing a local fair which had a ladyboy singing after being introduced by a midget, oh and riding the motorbikes though a hotel. Yeah!
On Wednesday we all jumped on a small boat and were taken around the river to the floating markets. This is equivalent to being taken to a truck yard and watching people unload the goods from one truck into another. Then we were farmed into another market. Hmmm, not the scenic Mekong experience I was hoping for. 
Jack, Gemma, Thomas and I split up at Cai Be. I was headed deeper into the Mekong, and they were headed back to Saigon and then to Monnaie. For the first time since leaving Perth I was on my own and headed to Can Tho. Can Tho was pleasant and defined by the massive bridge which you enter on. The street which I used to access my hotel was a tool/spare part market, so I managed to pick up some good tools for cheap. Walking the water front I met some of the girls staying at my hotel that had arrived as part of a tour. We had a few beers and dinner at a nice restaurant on the river.
Thursday I rode from Can Tho to Long Xuyen after being recommended this road as a scenic route by a local in the hotel. Stopping for fuel a local tried to scam me. (The S.W.F.S – Stupid Westerner Fuel Scam – Two people always pump fuel at the servos, one pumping and the other resetting the bowser. When a non-local turns up they forget to reset the bowser so that you pay for your fuel AND the previous one). After explaining not too politely that they should not start to pump until resetting the bowser, I was good, and on the way to Tri Ton, Kien Luong and Ha Tien. Ha Tien is located at the far north west of Vietnam and has increased in popularity since a border crossing to Cambodia opened a few years ago. Ha Tien was a nice relief after the not so beautiful towns of the Mekong. It has a French essence that was not just a remnant of the buildings and street design. Being located on an inlet also helps. At Ha Tien’s Oasis bar I meet Andy (English expat) and Jacko (Aussie expat) who convince me to head to Phu Quoc Island for a day or two, they also provide some hot tips on where to stay and what to do.
The next day I load the bike on the 8:20am ferry and settle in for the 2.5 hour boat trip. I spend two days on Phu Quoc staying in a beach side villa. It’s a beautiful island and despite another attempted S.W.F.S, a nice way to spend two days. On the Island I meet Mike, a 28yo local who owns and runs a restaurant/bar. He explains how he affords to run the place - Russian funding – this seems common in Vietnam. Mike provides some more recommendations on island highlights so I check them out, including a hidden pagoda on a hilltop that was amazing. Mike also recommends heading to the north of the island as its deserted. I do this and then have to race poor Suzi over half-built and gravel roads to make the ferry. She makes me pay for this the next day, when I head for the border and Cambodia.
Unfortunately I was disappointed with the Mekong. I try not to have expectations when I travel, but I did have a preconception that this place would offer unspoiled natural beauty. I have envisioned riding along roads skirted by rice fields and rivers. Most of the riding was thought sprawling shanty towns and markets. Pity.
