An Open Letter To The Mekong Delta

Hi, would you mind being a little less fascinating? I am trying to plan a trip and the abundance of the region is not helping. The sheer depth of natural, historical, cultural and spiritual gems is astonishing. Reading through my Lonely Planet guide book, it is becoming increasingly clear that I will only be able to scratch the surface of this vast and diverse region.

My wish list of must see places has already grown well beyond my time constraints. To fully experience the region and the five countries that it encompasses would take at least a year of almost constant movement to take it all in.

I will be using regional airlines, but this is more a function of avoiding border hassles. Entering Cambodia and Vietnam through land crossings has far more potential to be troublesome than entering the country by air. Right now the flight plan looks like this:

• Toronto to Bangkok
• Bangkok to Siem Reap
• Phnom Penh to Ho Chi Minh City
• Hanoi to Bangkok
• Bangkok to Toronto

However, within Cambodia I hope to travel by boat as much as possible, and within Vietnam the railway will be my main source of transportation.

I have always loved using surface transportation, and living in Canada has blessed me with many opportunities to take some extensive and fantastic road trips within this country. I relish the feeling of being propelled forward into a kaleidoscope of the unknown.

Surface transportation also allows for the opportunity to witness the real experience of day to day life of the people who live in any given country.

Alas, there is simply too much to see here, and I will have to choose wisely from this cavalcade of riches.

http://www.goyestoeverything.com