11 February, Go Cong to Ben Tre, 71km
Hotel Hung Vuong 360,000VND

At 4,350 km, the Mekong is the world's 12th-longest river and the 3rd-longest in Asia (after the Yangste and the Yellow). It originates on the Tibetan Plateau and runs through China, Burma, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam. Over 60 million people depend on the river and its tributaries for food, water and transport. The delta is Vietnam’s rice bowl, producing 38% of the annual food crop from 10% of the land mass. The Mekong is known as the Nine Dragons for the nine distributaries that flow into the South China Sea. Today we cycled but a tiny corner of this flat, hot, humid land. Cycled past green rice paddies and over brown rivers rimmed with green water palms. From the crest of bridges over small waterways and large we could see palms all the way to the horizon. Closer by were flowering trees lining the streets of the towns through which we rode, including the flamboyant flame tree and the fragrant frangipani. Nurseries exploded with colour, vibrant and lovely: yellow and red, pink and orange. Our lovely ride took us via an impressive suspension bridge over the Tien Giang distributary at the city of Mytho and ended at the modern city of Ben Tre on the Ham Luong distributory. We treated ourselves to a hotel with a river view and strolled the vibrant market before dinner. 

Between Go Cong and Ben Tre

Between Go Cong and Ben Tre

Between Go Cong and Ben Tre

Between Go Cong and Ben Tre

Between Go Cong and Ben Tre

Between Go Cong and Ben Tre

Mytho

Mytho

Between Go Cong and Ben Tre - water coconut

Ben Tre

Ben Tre

Ben Tre

Ben Tre

Ben Tre