Asia

"We are not in Kansas anymore!" Storybook Dorothy's famous observation on crash landing in the Wizard's Land of Oz comes to mind while venturing through the bustling street market on the banks of Vietnam's Mekong River.

It is clear that this is not a familar place. Motorbikes zip in and around people as they decide which fresh eel they would like to purchase. Women wearing pointy rice hats sit cross-legged next to their baskets of dried seahorses and crusty fish that smile with spiky teeth. The smell of rotting salty creatures lingers in the air. Two children sit at a small table on the side of the street playing a game of checkers. The women next to them pounds the various uncooked meats scattered across a table with a stick.

Photo Credti: WIKIPEDIA=AdamJones

Photo Credit: WIKIPEDIA=DanielBerthold

This, is the real Vietnam. There are few Westerners here unlike the popular tourist destinations such as Ho Chi Minh City. This place is nearly two hours west of the city. My Tho is a bustling mini city situated on the mighty Mekong River, and it is anything but ordinary. The locals are equally as shocked to see a Westerner as we are just as shocked to absorb the sights and sounds of this market. Occasionally, a few Western volunteers will call My Tho their home as they teach English in the local school or work on housing projects. A few may stumble upon the city as they tour the Mekong Delta.

The locals are very excited to see a Westerner enjoying their city. They will stop what they are doing and even giggle at the strange things that we do. My Tho is a place where the locals marvel at you rather than beg you to purchase from them. The children jump at the chance to practice their English with a living human-being instead of from the computer program in their schools.

Way of life is slow here. Men sit on their motorbikes and take an afternoon nap on the side of the street, not bothered by the surrounding bustling traffic. Women on push bikes with overflowing baskets full of dragon fruit attached to the back glide over the bridge in the middle of traffic. Motorists will risk an accident to take their eyes off of the chaos while waving and shouting "Hellllloooo" to you.

Towering above a busy street, a giant Taylor Swift poster promotes the service that can be provided in the barber shop beneath it. Next door, there is what appears to be a toy store, with all sorts of strange stuffed creatures hanging from the walls and the ceiling. Yet, in the middle of the crowded counters sits a shelf containing various types of hard liquors. There is a café nearby but at first glance a visitor would probably ignore the tiny sign and think that a bunch of locals were just sitting around in their open home.

The grocery store is a magical land in itself. Outside, there is a bakery stall selling massive sugary pieces of bread with pineapple or egg baked into them. The policemen guarding the store wave and smile to you as you walk in. One man in their fleet particularly likes to wink at the ladies. Inside the store, you are met with quirky loud Vietnamese music that sounds like the background of a children's television show. The produce aisle is small and contains strange looking fruits and vegetables.

As you walk down the aisles you will find various ginger sweets, condensed milk, a make-up and jewelry counter and an entire electronics section. There is a large wooden staircase in the middle of the store that looks like a piece that once belonged on the Titanic. Make your way upstairs and you are met with clothing, nicknacks, mosquito nets and various treasures. You can spend hours exploring the supermarket.

Outside again, there are more stalls selling strange and inviting street delights. What looks like a delicious soft pastry is actually a savory pork bun. Take a walk around the corner and you are met by a stand that claims to be the best rice and pork you will ever try in your entire life. Further down the road, the phó ladies, so known for their special noodle soup, go about their daily business serving soups that make your mouth water with just the scent of them. As you sit on their tiny kids table and chairs on the side of the street, they with bring you the delicious chili limey soup bursting with soft, slippery, fat noodles. Dip in the fried donut textured bread and you are in heaven. For an USD equivalent of $.40, this meal is the delight that you dream of.

Walk down the road and over the bridge and watch the kids jump off of their porches of the homes that rest on the river. Big wooden ferries and barges with strange designs such as eyes painted on them look as though they will barely stay afloat as they made their way towards the dock. Teenagers climb up to their roofs and jump into the shimmering, muddy brown Mekong. In the middle of the road, a man walks with a cart full of gold fish in plastic bags as motorbikes zip around him. Another man with a cart streaming with yellow rubber ducky balloons passes him and they share some laughter. Across the road sits the Jazz Café. Stop there for a delicious cafe su da (Vietnamese coffee with condensed milk and ice) and relax, while taking a break from the hot, sticky air outside.

Down the street, a team of smiling men offer to take you on their miniature version of the wooden painted barges across the Mekong River to visit the islands that it hosts. Each island is different. Walk through a thin pathway in the jungle and suddenly you are surrounded by locals selling their coconut wood creations and coconut candy. Visit the honey farm and stick your hand into hundreds of bees in their hive just to have a taste of extremely fresh honey. Relax with the local tea followed by trying a shot of rice wine and then you are ready to hold the massive cobra around your neck. Later, you have the chance to eat one along with its beating heart.

Hop in a your boat again and then onto a smaller one and take in the towering tropical tunnel of plants as a women standing on the back of your boat rows through a canal. There is another oar in the boat that you can use to help her out. After a surreal experience through the canals, you can climb onto the land and enjoy a platter of Vietnamese fruit: chôm chôms (Rambutan, a.k.a. Hairy Cherries), dragon fruit and the best golden pineapple you will ever taste. Take a nap on the many hammocks that surround the island or indulge in the smiling fried fish that sits upright on your dinner table. Place pieces of its meat onto rice paper, top with banana, mint and lime leaves, roll up it up and dip it into delicious fish sauce.

Back on My Tho's shores, hop on a push bike and cycle over to the the big pagoda. You are met by a giant statue of Buddha towering high above the pagoda and are easily reminded that the seriousness of spiritual life here is larger than you. Outside the pagoda are smaller offering temples, gardens, fountains and a stand selling various Buddhist items. Inside the pagoda, beautiful colors and gold make themselves apparent in the darkness. The incense from the offerings placed in front of the Buddhist statues of worship takes over the air. Monks bow their head to the new visitor and one may even teach you how to kneel and pray.

A vegetarian restaurant sits across the street from the pagoda. Most of the proceeds go towards keeping the pagoda running. Try delicious fried pumpkin flowers dipped in sweet chili sauce for starters. Pay attention to the young boy that is your server. He is fourteen years old and must work at the restaurant every day from 6am-10pm in order to pay off his room and board to his foster parents. In his spare time, he teaches himself English. He jumps at the rare chance to practice with Westerners. Staying for a bit longer to teach him some new words is a small price to pay for making him shine with happiness.

For dinner, stroll over to the night market along the river and enjoy the local seafood. The salt and pepper prawns are a favorite and can be purchased for around $2 per plate. If you are really daring, try a duck egg. This is a local delicacy in which the duck fetus is consumed. After dinner, head over to one of the local clubs "Galaxy" or "Friendship" and be treated like royalty as security guards surround your table while the servers top up your drink every time is left half full. Dance to the pop songs that you once heard ten years ago. Outside of the club, men pushing around carts of dried smelly squid are eagerly awaiting those who are craving a mid-night snack to soak up their indulgence. If you've still got some energy left, head over to the Karaoke district until the sun comes up.

This is only a glimpse into what My Tho has to offer. Living there for one month never imposed boredom. There is always something new to discover and be awed by. The Westerner fan-club never ends nor does the friendly atmosphere. The foods keep getting tastier and stranger. The slow paced spiritual life sends reminders to enjoy the present. This is truly one of the best-kept secrets of Vietnam and well worth the visit.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Lindsay Simoncavage is a 25-year-old American who grew up in a small town in Pennsylvania. Ever since she could remember, she longed to explore the world. In 2007, the opportunity came to study abroad in Australia. In 2011, using Australia as a base, she gave solo travel a try, spending one month exploring and volunteering in Vietnam. Currently, Lindsay is writing her thesis about the Hmong ethnic group. Many Hmong live in the Sapa region of Vietnam, so she booked traveled solo to the Northern Vietnamese hinterlands with the hope of more personal interaction with these people than would be possible with group travel.

PHOTO CREDITS: Lindsay Simoncavage, Wikipedia as noted...