Sea and Island Week to take place in Quang Binh

LookAtVietnam - Vietnam Sea and Island Week 2010, themed "The ocean of the life, preserve the life of the ocean", will be held in the central province of Quang Binh from June 4-6.

Fresh ideas needed to boost Mekong tourism

Hosted by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, the event will include a number of activities such as a sea and island festival, a fair promoting the sea-based economy and a meeting in response to World Environment Day (June 5), World Ocean Day (June and the International Year on Biodiversity.

During the week, a sand painting contest for students, an exhibition of photos on sea and islands and an exchange between young people from the Vietnam General Department of Sea and Islands and Quang Binh province will be held.

Other activities will include visits to traditional craft villages and outstanding seafood processing companies in Quang Binh province and exchanges among businesses.

Developing the island economy is one of the government's priorities Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung has approved a ten year master plan for the island economy by 2020 that aims to boost the rapid, effective and sustainable development of the island system, create a breakthrough in developing sea and island economies and turn islands into bases strong enough to defend the nation.

The plan sets a target of raising the island economy's contributions to the national economy to 0.5 percent from the current 0.2 percent and reaching an island economic growth rate to 14-15 percent per year by 2020.

To reach the goal, around VND162.5 trillion will be needed from now to 2020.

Source: VNA

Developing orchard tours in Mekong Delta

With a favorable location, a variety of delicious fruits and rich indigenous culture, the Mekong Delta has many advantages to develop orchard tours.

With a favorable location, an interlacing river system, a variety of delicious fruits and rich indigenous culture, the Mekong Delta has many advantages to develop orchard tours. But, orchard tour development is still unproportional with the potential due to a number of planning problems. 

Mekong Delta provinces to join hands in developing tourism

Mekong Delta region waving in the national tourism year

Mekong Delta battles climate change and rising tides

With 269,000 hectares of fruit, the Mekong Delta is the largest fruit growing area in Vietnam, which accounts for 70 percent of the country's total fruit area. With a diverse range of fruits, which have high economic value such as Lo Ren Vinh Kim star apple, Hoa Loc mango, Cho Gao dragon fruit, Tan Phuoc longan and Cai Be mandarin and attractive tourist sites such as Thoi Son Island, Cai Be floating market, the Mekong Delta has a lot of advantages to develop tourism. At a Vietnam Fruit Festival which recently took place in Tien Giang province, managers, scientists and businesses discussed weaknesses and suggested solutions to develop the region's tourism.  more>>

Southeast Asia’s longest cable bridge opens in Vietnam

A 2,750-metre long bridge opened in Vietnam’s Mekong Delta region on Saturday, becoming the world’s seventh longest cable-stayed bridge. Crossing the Hau River, the Can Tho Bridge is also Southeast Asia’s longest suspension bridge, with a main span of 550 metres. The US$295 million bridge links the city of Can Tho with Vinh Long province, reducing travelling time by 30 minutes.

Mekong Delta fruit festival opens in My Tho

The delta hub of My Tho opened a fruit festival April 19 to promote Mekong produce.

The festival features fruit cooking demonstrations, parades, a seeds exhibition, a giant fruit exhibition and a fruit art competition, said Tran The Ngoc, Chairman of the People’s Committee in the Mekong Delta province of Tien Giang.

A map of Vietnam made of fresh fruit at the Fruit Festival in the Mekong Delta city of My Tho, Tien Giang Province, on April 19.(Photo:SGGP)

The event also aims to honor local farmers, scientists and enterprises that have contributed to create quality fruit varieties while elevating the status of Vietnamese fruit in the world, said Ngoc.

Exhibition tells lives of Mekong residents

Nine stories of the lives, dreams and struggles of the people of three Mekong River countries – Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia – are featured at an exhibition in the Mekong Delta province of An Giang.

“The Mekong’s story: Challenge and dream,” a mobile exhibition, was jointly opened at the provincial museum on March 30 by the provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Department of Heritage and Culture under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.
more>>

Crazy for coconut - Tan Phú

Imagine yourself on a riverboat navigating the web of canals which make up the Mekong Delta. All around is the lushest, greenest palms you can imagine, and when the light filters through them at a certain angle, you might think it a corner of heaven. Yes it's quite hot, but somehow, the motion of the barge and the chatter of the guide keeps your mind occupied. My eyes are all over the place, as usual, and my fingers can't write fast enough. So in this water highway, I note a sign which signals we have arrived at destination. This is where coconut candy is made by one family, - the entire operation is done by hand as the pictures below prove. Not so much for domestic consumption, but to feed the Chinese frenzy for coconut to the tune of 2,000 metric tons annually.

This is your stairway to heaven, literally. If you have equilibrium problems, this is not for you. The barge anchors itself to the side, so as not to interfere with incoming traffic, as these water lanes get more narrow as the trip progresses. Whatever your hang ups, the wafts of coconut aroma will make you spring to your feet in an instant. You are in Ben Tre Province, and that is so noted on every package of sweets you purchase here. Have you ever seen Green Coconut? Well I don't think anyone here did, but we got over it as soon as we tasted it.

This was our proverbial welcome mat and I would have gladly thrown myself on it had I not had any reserve. It was piping hot, as it had just made its way from a deep, concave shaped pot where the coconut is mixed by hand. They let the guests help themselves to this glob and must hurry to provide a new batch as it disappears quite quickly.

He is what I call the master of ceremonies. He stirs the coconut over an open flame, and inserts the vegetable dye that will give the color. They also produce plain coconut, coconut with peanut which has a cappuccino sort of color, and there is also chocolate coconut, which again, was a new experience for the palate, but none the less ethereal.

The young woman on the other hand, also stirring, seems to be very far from Ben Tre Province, at least in her thoughts. In these parts, especially the South, women are usually covered, and not because of modesty. They considered tanned body parts ugly, and want their skin to remain as close to white as possible. Even in Sai Gon, in unbearably hot and humid weather, one will see most women on their scooters, or walking with arms completely covered, and only the eyes are visible as a kerchief covers the rest of the face.

On the floor are masses of coconut shells, which will not go to waste. It is astounding how a war economy has instilled in the Viet Namese the need to recycle everything, re-use everything, and make use as well of every part of an item, like the coconut. The shells are used in making some of the most beautiful wooden items for the table. In fact, prior to coming here, I had already been smitten with coconut tea sets, which I never dare to use, but loved the way they looked. In Bali, we had also seen furnishing made of coconut, and in different shades. Thailand also has a penchant for things coconutty.
See what happens at this point, as the "blob" is transformed into long narrow strips which are about 1/4" thick. From this point on, it is only the women that are working on the finishing. Notice that the ribbons are sitting on a cutting board awaiting the axe. You can see how they've got this down to a "science", and are using their senses to cut them into perfect squares.

What happens next is even more fascinating. There are about six women all seated around the table, each having edible rice paper which are cut to size (I don't know who does the cutting here, as we had no chance to observe) and which they fold exactly the same way without even looking at the squares. The boxes which will hold these morsels are also in front of the ladies, so as they fold them, they are also filling up the box which normally holds two layers of candies.
One can continue watching this process or proceed to the counter, where purchases of the boxed items can be made. They do offer other goods, but it's unthinkable to buy anything but coconut here. We decide that we're going to splurge and buy one of each of the three varieties. In hindsight, it was not enough.
It is high time for me to move on and check out the merchandise. I'm trying to be careful, as habitually, when we travel to Asia, we return with more suitcases than when we depart. This trip was no exception. And suitcases are dirt cheap in Sai gon.













You can see the artistic ability of the Viet Namese is not lacking at all: miniature animals, - there are crabs, pigs, turtles (lucky pet here) rabbits, birds as well as functional items such as napkin holders, business card holders, ashtrays, ramekins with covers, sailboats??
And here we have on the floor more raw material, which will be transformed into beautiful art forms. The fiber which is found on the surface of the coconut is called "coir", and I'm not sure that Viet Nam has learned how to use this in papermaking, but in other Southeast Asian countries, it's a favorite ingredient for strengthening the paper. It is also exported to other countries as a mattress filler, and as a fertilizer. And don't forget soap and other beauty products. Frankly, I'd just rather eat it.

One cannot linger too long, as visitors keep on arriving, and the area is too small to handle more than one boat load at a time. As soon as we were seated on the barge, we began to sample our treasures. I don't think they lasted to the end of our trip. But when I returned to the U.S., the invisible hand of coincidence found me a Viet Namese supermarket who imported the heavenly morsels from Ben Tre Province. No, not the green kind, but hey, who cares? I still shop there occasionally, and the shop has greatly expanded. But for some reason, the coconut candy has disappeared.

The Mekong Delta Day Tour

Mekong Delta(MYTHO) @VIETNAM
Uploaded by pegasus789

This video is a snapshot of the day we spent at the Mekong Delta; but it's much more!
With moving pictures you can appreciate the sounds of this enchanting voyage.

Meet me at the Mekong Delta

Before going to Viet Nam, the first time, I had expressed a desire to see the Mekong Delta and in my mind's eye, I'm almost embarrassed to say, I thought of it as a group of tributaries soaked in mud, very wet and full of mosquitoes, with chickens running around infected with the bird flu virus (the epidemic had just broken out). I imagined also GI's running around in the dead heat with all their gear and shooting at will, crouching in trenches and rolling over into brackish waters...So you see what one sided propaganda will do to a person? I have to admit that despite the brainwashing, I still wanted to see Viet Nam for myself. I had my own romantic notions, despite the mostly uncomplimentary footage we were being shown from that country. What we found when we got there couldn't be further from the truth (except for some left over trenches). Photo: Chuck and I in Tan Phu

We signed up for a one-day tour of the Mekong Delta at the front desk of our hotel, the Indochine. In hindsight, one day is not really enough as the area has much to offer, but considering how little we paid for this tour, we packed an enormous amount of activity, - and therefore, I have broken up the posts into several parts. This will deal with our arrival at My Tho, and its famous fruit market; My Tho is also the point of departure for all launches going to other islands within the Delta. It's an elaborate enough network that will touch upon Cambodia at the southernmost tip of Viet Nam. Overall, the Mekong and its river is an extremely important region for agricultural output, specifically rice and other crops; its names translates into the river of nine dragons and has its source in Northern Tibet.

Once in Viet Nam, you will quickly learn that the word "cho" means market. My Tho (please don't pronounce it as my toe, but rather me toh) is quite renown for its exotic fruit market, and therefore, it beckoned for us to stop and take in every color, every shape, and on occasion some rather bizarre looking creations. Our guide was a very erudite man who knew as much about his fruit as he did about his country's history. I closed ranks with him so as not to miss anything he would say and kept my diary close at hand at all times.

Durian

It is only fitting to put a photo of this fruit first, since it is dubbed "the king of fruits" in Viet Nam. It's called "Durian", which means "one's own sorrows", and for the uninitiated, has a smell of rotten cheese. I supposed a certain amount of sorrow is endured when getting a whiff of this fruit, but apparently, it is loved by the people here. It looks a lot like the jackfruit, which I did taste when I was in Bali and which does not harbor the strong smell. There is a romantic legend that is attached to the naming of this fruit which is a loose version of Romeo and Juliet.

"Dragon Fruit" is the name of this red and green composition to the left. It is not only lovely to look at, but once opened, it reveals more colorful intrigue. White pulp with black seeds and most pleasing taste for the palate. You will find this served at most open buffet tables for breakfast and/or lunch, and one of the most prolific fruit tables is to be found at the Hotel Continental, which must be on your list of places to stay, even if it is only one night. To be fair, we were also served Dragon Fruit aboard the Emeraude Cruise.

Keeping with the red family of fruits, this hairy thing is actually quite tasty. It's very similar to the lychee, but with fuzz all over it. Ask for chom chom, or rambutan if this is what you want; the inside is white, a bit chewy but wonderfully sweet. The rambutan tree is ubiquitous in the village of Binh Hoa Phuoc, which is located some 50 kms. north of Sai Gon (or HCMC, if you prefer), in the province of Vinh Long. The lychee also shares a white, translucent type of meat on its inside, as does the longan, which has become Viet Nam's main export to China.
Taking a short break from the fruit to look at some very significant and important items in Viet Namese culture. What we have here are areca leaves and the famous betel nuts. These items are "de rigueur" at weddings, and the more affluent the family, the more will be supplied. If you've seen Viet Namese with blackened teeth, it is due to excessive fondness of the areca leaf. Let us not forget also that these nuts/leaves are especially appreciated for the feeling of euphoria they impart upon chewing. They are the Viet Namese version of our energy bars.
These probably need no explanation, however, I wish to point out that these watermelons are almost seedless and are sweeter than anything I've ever tasted.

Bananas are everywhere, and are sold on the streets of every city we visited. Women carry them in baskets over their shoulders, much as they do oranges ,- in other words, you don't have to travel very far to find either fruit. In Viet Nam, all parts of the banana are used, such as with the banana flower tossed with salad ingredients, the banana stalk is cooked as a vegetable, and even the roots are cooked together with seafood. They are abundant, cheap and one of the best sources of potassium. Green bananas, or plantains, are also sold at market.

This pancake-like concoction had me guessing...I finally gave up. It's a banana specialty which is prepared with seeds. I am not sure if one eats this "as is", or if it heated up.

Dubbed by the Viet Namese "trai thom" (fragrant fruit), pineapple is grown everywhere. It is especially fun to watch the market sellers peel the skin, and then expertly slice the fruit so that it's ready to be enjoyed as soon as it's purchased. In certain areas of the country, the juice of the pineapple is mixed with an egg yolk and blended before drinking. The fruit can also be purchased in cans and is processed as a liquor as well, though I have not tried the latter. I much prefer the natural fruit in all cases, and usually don't linger too much with varieties that are available back home.

During this particular trip, I did not see, and therefore did not photograph some of my other favorite fruits, two of which used to be mainstays during my childhood in Egypt. One is the guava, which I was able to locate in Mexico City and the other is the soursop or custard apple, which is extremely hard to find stateside. I spotted my first one in Sai Gon, at the Ben Thanh Market and thought I was hallucinating. Other fruits which entered my repertoire from Viet Nam was the longan or nanh, which I have easily found in our very own China Town in Flushing, New York. I have not yet developed a taste for the mangosteen, but perhaps it's a matter of time.

There are alleys within alleys in My Tho just like the one you see here where everyone is busy buying, selling or better yet eating. Behind this particular range of stalls is the indoor fruit and vegetable market which needs to be seen and smelled. There is always something being cooked at every market, as vendors know that after shopping, one is going to want to sit down and enjoy whatever is on the menu for the day. No there are no menus, - you can just point to what you want, and you'll never be disappointed.

Across the way on that street is the fish and fowl market, and I literally circumvented every stall that had anything resembling a bird. That didn't stop anyone else from buying chickens, quail eggs, and other fowl related items. By the time we reached Ha Noi on our journey, we were having omelets for breakfast almost daily.