On Saturday our ship meandered through the Mecong delta along a very narrow channel. We had a pilot on board. In spite of the many buoys and ranges there were moments when I held my breath as we circumnavigated some of the hairpin bends, especially if a ship was approaching the other way. Our slip, when we eventually docked, was unusual in that our stern stuck out beyond the dock. This wasn't a problem because loading and unloading cargo takes place in the forward two thirds of the ship. It was already dark by the time we got settled in so Mal and I decided to go into town the following morning.
Heiner, a fellow passenger, joined us as we left the ship early the next morning. The plan was to exit the port before calling a taxi. The guard at the gate looked at us a little quizzically, checked our passports, and wished us a happy day. As we walked down the narrow street we became aware that we were being stared at, not rudely, but with curiosity. Lotus Port isa working port and I imagine that there are not a lot of passengers passing through. We hadn't gone far before we were accosted by some young motorcyclists who wanted to take us to the city. This is a common mode of transportation in South East Asia. They are not regulated or metered and we had no intention of using them in spite of their telling us, "TAXI NO COME HERE!" To cut a long story short we each ended up riding pillion passenger to the nearest taxi stand. Heiner managed to capture a rear view of Mal and me on video. It's titled, "Hell's Angels Visit Viet Nam!" Our cyclists were very charming and promised that they wouldn't go too fast. They kept their word, but I think we were all a little relieved to climb into a taxi for the rest of the trip.
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