A Week in the Mekong Delta

Huge apologies to my avid followers (aka my mom) for going AWOL this past week. The Mekong Delta was an extremely busy week and the minimal free time I had was spent in the comfort of my mosquito net, trying not to pass out from heat exhaustion. So I am now reflecting on my week in the Delta from the comfort of my homestay, in the AC.

This past week pushed me mentally and physically. Not only did the heat almost take me hostage, but I learned to farm, harvest rice, and walk through mud, all while trying to avoid dengue fever and malaria. Safe to say it was an extremely challenging week.

I will have different blog posts for each day, because I believe each day deserves its own posts.

Day one was mostly filled with traveling to the Mekong Delta, a region in south Vietnam. After about 6 hours of bumpy roads and pouring rain, we arrived at the local university in Mekong, and let me tell you, it was not like any university I have ever seen. It was deep in a rural setting, and nearly hidden in the woods.

Upon getting there, we began settling into our “dorm room,” which consisted of claiming bunk beds and setting up mosquito nets. There were 6 girls per room, but after about 20 minutes, the 3 boys of our group made themselves at home in our dorm room as well, because their ac was broken. So a party of 9 populated our room. I was blessed to be on the bottom bunk of my friend Todd, so whenever he moved a muscle in the night, the bed shook. So the living conditions were a challenge in of itself.

After moving our stuff in, we took a walk through the woods, which was both peaceful and stressful. It was finally quiet, something we were not used to in Ho Chi Minh City. Yet we were also told to stay away from leeches and mosquitos. But overall, the beauty and tranquility shadowed the heat and bugs.

The local university students played a key role in our experience for the week. They were so eager to speak to us, to better their english, and get to know us better, and we were eager to do just the same. They came with us on most of our excursions of the week and taught us what it is like to be a student in the Mekong Delta.

After our walk, we went to the soccer field to play with the local students. There, I learned three things: 1- I am wildly out of shape and need to lay off the Banh Mi, 2- I love playing soccer. 3- I love playing for myself and with my friends, and for nobody but that. This fall has reminded me and reinforced my leave from soccer. It reminded me why it ended quickly: I didn’t want to taint the love for the sport I played my whole life, and for that, playing soccer with the local Vietnamese students was one of the most memorable parts of my week.

Our night ended with dinner in the local Can Tin, where a few ladies cooked for us. Conversation and food is a staple of our group, and something I value each and every day.

Going to bed was difficult. The mosquito net suffocated me, and then in the middle of the night, I woke up in shivers. The night was difficult, but this week, there was absolutely no time to be tired.

Day 2 will be posted soon!

-Amy