Schools Out!
I visited the Mekong Delta in Vietnam last year by taking a public bus from Ho Chi Minh City. The development in this part of the world has been extraordinary over the past few decades as Vietnam as a whole is truly coming of age. I met up with a tour group in hopes of getting a small glimpse of what daily life is like here; instead I got a full-blown tourist experience! They took us on a guided boat ride on the Mekong, showed us how they make banana wine, and had lunch waiting for us. After our meal I had plenty of time alone before I caught the bus back up to Saigon, I rented a bicycle and headed out down the dirt path and then road to explore on my own.
My afternoon in the Mekong Delta was terrific, I had stopped at this bridge near the edge of the village to photograph the men working in the river when these children ran enthusiastically as school let out. Though we are all separated by geography and culture; the smiles of these kids tell the story of our connectedness!