Village people

OK, apologies again for the title. Don't know what's come over me...

For our last full day in Vietnam, we drove a couple of hours out of Saigon towards the Mekong Delta and boarded a barge for a river cruise. Lunch knocked us out, with all four of us snoozing much of the afternoon on the top deck of the boat, but we were awakened by our guide and brought on a walking tour around a small village by the side of the river. 

And it was well worth waking up for. Every part of Vietnam we've seen has been different, and here was no exception. A short stroll brought us past local houses, through the rice paddies, and back to the tiny market. A huge contrast to bustling Saigon.

The little chap in the photo was the son of a farmer whose small-holding we visited. He may not have had much land, but he managed to pack in fighting cocks, pythons, cattle, goats, pigs, dogs, cats and probably a few more species that I've forgotten. His son was very interested in our visit, and particularly the contents of our pockets - much to the embarrassment of his mother. The earring's a nice touch, I thought...

A few extra pics of our wander around the village, plus sunset on the Mekong.

One final bit of the tour tomorrow, and then the marathon journey home begins...