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Vietnam Rose Series: Discovering the locals’ lives in Cai Rang

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As much as my body wanted to stay warm in bed, I forced myself to get up to capture the sunrise in the Cai Rang River.

But more than the sunrise what caught my attention the most were the locals walking and biking on the rocky and rough road outside Minh’s home.

It was a Saturday and yet, kids were going to school in bikes. Minh offered to show me the local market and the school. Both were just a few meters away from their home.

He pointed the bike which I can use but then I hesitated. It’s been decades since I rode a bike. My fear of falling and getting bruised prevented me from riding the bike. I politely declined. He then hopped on his motorbike and offered the ride.

I felt so lucky to be guided by a local of Cai Rang. About 10 minutes away from his home, I saw how the Vietnamese in Cai Rang spent their Saturday.

Kids clad in their uniform and slippers were running and roaming around their school. It did not look like a regular school day but more of a clean-up day.

After a few minutes, my feet brought me out of the school and into the local market. I started shooting and noticed the exotic goods that they were selling. One lady was selling a slimy gliding creature, which looked like a snake but later on, Minh told me that they were eels.

The Public Market of Cai Rang was no stranger to floods like what some places in the Philippines experience.

There were so many stories in the local market. It gave me a preview of the locals’ lives. Indeed, I was enjoying every moment of it.

Minh introduced his friend who has a cute chubby baby named Thiem but his nickname was Schumong because he’s big and heavy. They allowed me to hold the baby and have my photo taken with him.

I checked my watch. It’s time to return to his house for breakfast. My parents and I said our farewells to Minh’s family aboard their motor boat and off we go to the boat station in Can Tho City.

The Vietnam Rose Series: Homestay with Minh Viet’s family

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Hundreds of motorcycles driving around the rotonda welcomed us as the bus finally arrived in Can Tho City.

While most of our companions chose to stay at a two-star hotel, we deviated from the majority’s choice. I persuaded my parents that we should stay at a Vietnamese Homestay to get a different experience. My persuasion worked.

The vehicle parked in front of the two-star shabby hotel. A young man in his 20s approached us and introduced himself as Minh. He’s the owner of the homestay, where we’ll be spending the night.

My parents were surprised that we’re riding motorcycles on the way to Minh’s homestay. I just smiled at their worried faces. I hopped on the motorcycle and couldn’t hide my smile riding alongside hundreds of motorcycles in Can Tho City.

From the city, it took us 25 minutes before we arrived at Minh’s home beside the river. Though Minh knows a little English, he tried his best to talk with us. He said that he’s a tourism student and would want to be a tour guide when he finishes college.

I’ve researched and seen good reviews in TripAdvisor’s specialty lodging for the Mekong Delta. It was also recommended by fellow PTB member, the Solitary Wanderer Aleah who stayed there as well.

Minh showed us our room made of thatched nipa. It has two double beds, an electric fan, and a toilet of its own. And yes, they have mosquito nets. As simple as it was, the room was homey.

I checked the toilet. It was clean and decent enough.

There is also an outlet for charging phones and cameras.

I dropped my bag and wandered outside. A young girl at the veranda smiled at me. I asked her name. She replied with all her best in English, “My name is Nghâ.”

I didn’t understand the name. She repeated it and I followed her until I pronounced it right. Her mother, the housekeeper laughed as I tried to chat with her but the conversation didn’t push through as she couldn’t understand my English anymore.

As expected, they have hammocks at the veranda. I rested in one of them. It was relaxing. Minutes later, another woman came. She introduced herself as Minh’s mother. She then told us that dinner would be served at 7pm.

She was also having difficulty to converse in English. But she used the universal language, SMILE, to communicate with us. She used hand gestures to convey that we Filipinos looked like Vietnamese too. The only English words that she uttered, “Same Same.” (And then she smiled).

It felt great to chat with locals like them who tried their best to mingle with us despite language barrier.

It was a family affair as Minh’s brother set up the table and served the meals.

We called it a day after feasting over spring rolls, sweet and sour red fish, fried noodles, fried little shrimps (okoy), and vegetable soup.

The home-cooked food prepared by Minh’s family was one of the best Vietnamese food that I’ve tasted.

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The Vietnam Rose Series: Of coffee and hammocks

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What do coffee and hammocks have in common? I found the answer to this question after we left Ben Tre en route to the biggest city in the Mekong Delta, Can Tho City. It would be a three-hour roadtrip. While others were asleep, I killed boredom through “people-watching.”

I peeked through the window of the coaster bus and let my eyes wander as street scenes unfold before me.  Vietnamese love to take a rest at the hammocks after a good sip of coffee. Almost every cà phê (coffee shop) store that we passed by has hammocks, where people take a break and converse with their fellows.

The vehicle halted when the Israeli woman requested our tour guide, Anh for a toilet break. At last, I can stretch my legs and arms. Long rides can really be tiring even if you’re just seated. Anh said that we’re already in Cai Be, which is just an hour away from Can Tho City.

The stop-over was not at a gas station/convenience store but at a home-based coffee shop, which resembled our local carinderia in the Philippines.

Papa ordered cà phê (brewed coffee) while I ordered cà phê s?a nóng (brewed coffee with milk). It was interesting that they use filter for the coffee.  It was more like an espresso considering the serving size. The taste was indeed strong.

When everyone was finished with the toilet break, we returned to the coaster bus to continue our journey to Can Tho City, where we will be spending the night.

I looked again at the window and realized the importance of coffee and hammock in the culture of the Vietnamese. After a long day of hard work in their farm lands, they take a break and socialize. Coffee and hammock meant socialization and relaxation. These answered my question.

The Vietnam Rose Series: Basking in Ben Tre

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Vietnam shared a common past with the Philippines as a survivor of the World War II. But more than the remnants of the war, our neighboring country Vietnam managed to rise up from the ashes and continued to grow its tourism and agriculture sectors.

From the busy streets of Ho Chi Minh City, the scenery shifted to tranquility as our mini-bus passed by the Freeway, sandwiched in between the vast rice fields in Ti?n Giang province. Herons flew over the lush greens while the farmers toiled the soil.


The Unique Tombs of Vietnam


But what made their rice fields distinct were the tombs built in the middle of the rice fields. Those were the tombs of the farmers who worked hard to grow crops in the land.

Anh, our Vietnamese tour guide, related that in Vietnam, the government allows the farmers to bury their dead in the rice fields. The countryside was a refreshing view from the thousands of motorcycles in the city.

It was almost perfect until the rain poured. The weather forecast was right. Typhoon Pedring (International name: Nesat) which flooded some parts of the Philippines followed us in Vietnam. While others were sleeping, I was praying hard that the rain stopped. We would be cruising along river canals and the weather would ruin good photo opportunities.

My prayers were answered. After passing the Rach Mieu bridge connecting My Tho to Ben Tre, the sun stretched its rays. Nice-looking landscapes with the letters forming Ben Tre welcomed us. It was about an hour and 45 minutes when the mini-bus stopped at the boat station.

The Israeli couples, the French couple, the Korean buddies, and us, the Filipino family, boarded the boat.

On the way to Ben Tre

Our first destination was the brick factory, one of the industries in Ben Tre. The boat brought us to an unassuming place with coconut trees and dome-liked brick structures.

It was just like a backyard factory and yet, the three people who work there can produce 7,000 bricks per day. Each brick is priced at 700VND or Php 1.45.


Anh shared to us how the brick was made.  After forming the clay harvested from the Mekong Delta, it is then baked at the huge brick dome, which serves as the oven. Instead of using chopped woods, the workers use rice husks to make fire and bake the bricks in 1,000 degrees centigrade of heat.

Vietnam is the 2nd world’s largest exporter of rice, which explains the tons of rice husks in the factory. After seeing the industry of brick-making, we returned to the boat, which brought us to a place where we ate dragon fruits, papaya, lanzones and pineapples for snacks.

While sipping a cup of tea with honey, a group of Vietnamese sang a folk song.   The guide said that the song was about the Mekong Delta. Though we couldn’t understand the meaning of the song, the two Vietnamese women showed that it was a sad song through the expression of their eyes and the tune of their song.

Visiting the coconut candy workshop was next on our list. Coconut candy-making is another growing industry in Ben Tre because of its numerous coconut plantations.

From the workshop, we walked in the middle of coconut trees, which ended at the inland road in the village.


This time, we rode a xe loi, a motorcart which used to carry their goods. The xe loi ride allowed us to see the laidback lifestyle in that village in Ben Tre. It stopped in another station, where we rode a row boat.

An old woman wearing a non la, Vietnam’s traditional hat, smiled at us as she assisted each one to sit on her row boat. She was so strong to row the boat carrying the six of us: the French couple Mariel and Simone, and my family.


It was a scenic ride along the narrow canals. The water coconut or nipa as we called it in the Philippines gave us a cool shade from the heat of the sun. The old woman then stopped at a small docking station, where the Green Coconut Riverside Restaurant was.

The staff at the restaurant served lunch starting with the mouthwatering giant gurami fish (which resembled a tilapia or St. Peter’s fish).


She showed us that the fish would be used as stuffing for Vietnamese spring roll mixed with the herbs. The spring roll dipped into the fish sauce was gastronomic.


Lemon grass chicken, sour soup, and steamed kangkong also filled our stomachs. It was then time to bid Ben Tre goodbye as we returned to our mini-bus for a three-hour ride to Can Tho City, where we would be spending the night.

Food Trip: Gastronomic delights in Ho Chi Minh City

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In every place you visit, treat your taste buds to new discoveries. It’s part of getting to know the culture of the people and experiencing the destination.

In my visit to Ho Chi Minh City, I didn’t expect that I would love eating Ph? (noodle soup) and drinking cà phê s?a ?á (Vietnamese Iced Coffee).

Vietnamese cuisine was a sweet surprise because in the Philippines I didn’t like this caramelized porkloin rice toppings that I ate in one of the Vietnamese food chains. That was my first taste of Vietnamese food. I gave it a second chance. This time, it’s authentic Vietnamese cuisine in Ho Chi Minh City.

Here’s my list of places to eat when you’re in Uncle Ho’s city:

1. QUAN AN NGON (160 Pasteur St., Dist. 1, HCMC)

If you’re looking for great food, ambiance, and value for money, then Quan An Ngon should be on the top of your list. This was recommended by fellow Pinoy Travel Bloggers. Thank you PTB! 

The French colonial-inspired facade of Quan An Ngon might seem intimidating. It looked like an expensive place and you might skip it if you’re on a budget. But don’t let that “rich-ambient-looking” facade fool you.

At the entrance, the staff would readily assist you to a vacant table. We were so happy that we tried eating at Quan An Ngon despite walking, crossing in between motorcycles up to the point of getting lost. The food was worth the sweat!

When the staff handed the menu, we asked about their specialties. The staff recommended the following:

  • Bún cá thì là (Vermicelli in Soup with fish and dill)- sour and spicy taste

Cost: 48,000 VND /Php 100 / $ 2.00

  • Cha gio (Fried spring rolls with vermicelli, fresh herbs and the fish sauce dip)- The fish sauce was soooo delicious! hahaha. I kept on dipping the spring rolls until it absorbed the fish sauce. Their fish sauce (or patis as we call it in the Philippines) was different. It’s not that salty unlike what we have back home.

Cost: 52,000 VND/ Php 109.00 / $2.50

  • It’s also a healthy dish since you eat the spring roll together with herbs and vermicelli. Based on my observations, most Vietnamese prefer eating noodles than rice even if this country is the 2nd world largest exporter of rice.

  • Bánh xèo (Vietnamese rice pancake)- At first glance, I thought that it’s an omelet with shrimp and bean sprout (togue) stuffing. It looked like an omelet and so I ate it like an omelet. I sliced it.

Cost: 50,000 VND/ Php 105.00 / $2.40

  • But then, there’s something wrong. What are the basil and mint leaves for? We then asked the staff and learned that we were eating it the wrong way. hahaha. Blooper of a first-timer. She then showed us how. She picked one leaf and wrapped the pancake.

Total Dine-in cost: Php 400.00 (with the drinks included) for 3 people.

2. PHO 2000 (1-3 Pan Chu Trinh, adjacent to Ben Thanh Market)

-If you’re looking for good-tasting Ph?, then Pho 2000 is your best bet. Its location is strategic. It’s adjacent to Ben Thanh Market.

Pho 2000 was again a recommendation by a Filipino friend who lived in Vietnam for a time. Thanks Amiel! This Ph? food chain is also popular because former US president Bill Clinton once dined there. Since then, they marketed the place as “Ph? for the president.” They displayed photos of Clinton on their walls.

  • Ph? bo (beef noodle soup)- After buying souvenirs at the night market, we stuffed our stomachs for dinner. So far, Ph? 2000′s Ph? bo was the best that I tasted in my pho quests in HCMC. It tasted like the Filipino cuisines, Bulalo and Nilagang Baka. The serving can be good for two.

 Cost: 45,000 VND /Php 94.00 / $ 2.16

  •  Seafood noodle soup- Papa ordered this type of pho, which was hot and spicy.

 Cost: 55,000 VND / Php 115.40 / $ 2.64

  • Cà phê s?a ?á (Vietnamese Iced Coffee)- Their Vietnamese iced coffee has a strong taste compared to the others that I’ve tasted in HCMC.

Cost: 17,000 VND / Php 35.65 / $0.82

Note: The waiter would give you wet wipes along with what you ordered. When you use it, you would have to pay for it as well. Wet wipes here are not for free.

3. Nhà hàng MIMOSA (88 Bui Vien St.)

-Nhà hàng means restaurant. We were so hungry after the Cu chi tunnel tour and was walking along Bui Vien St. to find a place to eat. A staff of the restaurant invited us to try out their food. Because we’re really hungry, we entered the small resto.

  • Stir- fry shrimps (I wasn’t able to take note of the local name due to hunger): Among what we ordered, this was what I liked most. Tasty.

  • Pho bo- Yes we wanted to try and compare the phos. But the Pho bo at Pho 2000 was still the best.

Cost: 35,000 VND / Php 73.40 / $1.68

  • Com chien hai san (Vietnamese Fried Rice) -This was the most expensive among what we ordered. The serving was small. It tasted good but I would still prefer the Chinese’ yang chow. 

Cost: 75,000 VND/ Php 157.32 / $3.60

  • Chicken curry- Not that satisfying. The Indian curry is better.

4. Ph? 24 (Ben Thanh Market)

- On our last day in HCMC, we tried Ph? 24, a popular fast food chain in Vietnam. Compared to other pho places, this has a more modern look and ambiance. As much as I wanted to try their pho, my taste buds were craving for rice. Yes, rice! Pinoy ako e. Naumay din sa pho. hehe

  • Com tam bi suon (broken rice with shredded pork and porkchop) – Nothing special. It’s just average.

Cost: 50,000 VND /Php 104.88 / $ 2.40

And now after writing this, I miss Vietnam and its food. In the Philippines, I know of three Vietnamese restaurants (Pho hoa, Pho bac, Pho24). Still, the authentic taste is different.

What are your favorite Vietnamese food? What other restaurants would you recommend?