參加Sinh Tourist的一天團，Sinh Tourist 是具規模的當地旅行社，不單在胡志明市，在河內都有分行，包辦本地一天團、越南短線團、老撾柬埔寨的長線團﹑特定主題如登山﹑單車、生態團，還有越南菜烹飪班。旅行團主要以英文越文為主，但我看到單張也有提供粵語或日文，如果人多包團便可以要求其他語言。報名及出發當日都有很多客人，絕對不是掛羊頭賣狗肉的黑店，大家可以放心。
We joined the one day tour organised by Sinh Tourist which is a large scale tourist agency in Vietnam. They have another branch in Hanoi other than the one in Ho Chi Minh City. They offer one day tour, few days trip in Vietnam, tour to Laos and Cambodia, tour featuring hiking, cycling, eco and nature, or even Vietnamese cooking class. The guide speaks English and Vietnamese. However, Cantonese or Japanese can be provided upon requested, such as the group is tailor made to the group of foreigners. I saw lots of tourists on the day we enrolled and set off. So the reputation is good and if you are lazy to plan, that would be an option.
先坐兩小時巴士離開胡志明市前往效區，再轉小船到訪蜜蜂/米紙/椰子島品嚐蜂蜜、參觀米紙、椰子製品生產過程。
To head to the country side, we first took two hours coach to leave Ho Chi Minh City. After that, another boat ride to the island to see the production of honey, Vietnamese rice sheet, coconut products.
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| Making Vietnamese Spring Roll with Rice Sheet |
Tourists were always surrounded by the local kids who want to sell you the postcard. The quality of the postcard is not fine. If you take a closer look, you would see the farmers have four eyes or the scene is blurry. The problem of child labour in South East Asia is not a news. You find it in all other SE Asia countries easily. I hope they are just selling to help the family a bit instead of controlled by the Group. I don't want them to suffer from hunger at night or beat by the boss because they got no money back. The tourists decided to buy a set of postcard out of pity. It is just a couple of dollars to make their life easier. However, other kids will come to you and ask you to buy from them as well.
告別這個地方，需要坐45分鐘小船到另一個島，目的是吃該島特產牛奶果和會站立的魚。
Leaving this place to another location (Yes, tour is like to catch the itinerary on time, everything is set.) It took us 45 minutes by boat to another island for our lunch with a standing fish and also for the Vietnam exclusive fruit - Star Apple.
牛奶果表皮圓滑，綠色中帶小許粉紅色，有點像番石榴，切開後肉和果實都是牛奶白。能吃的部份只是濕潤的果實，口感像林柿，有著淡淡的清甜。包圍著果實周邊的不是果肉，千萬不要吃，我好奇下咬了一小口，但立即吐出來，因為味道不甜而且很澀，還帶黏性，接觸後會輕微地黏著表面，所以我的雙唇有一段時間被黏著，用水都洗不走，只有透過進食慢慢把黏性減低，即是間接把黏膜吞進肚子裡。
The surface of the star apple is smooth, it is so round with green and red. It looks like a pomegranate. However, the meat inside is purely milky white. The eatable part is the seed which is moist, soft and sweet which taste like persimmon. I do not recommended to eat the surrounded skin. It is not good, trust me! I have a small bit out of curiosity... again... it is not good. I spit it out immediately. It doesn't taste sweet at all but very bitter with stickiness. The part touched the side will be stuck together. In my case, my lips were slightly stuck for a while. Water doesn't help much to clean, but eating helps. The stickiness will stay on the food you ate and then you swallowed them to your stomach.
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| 越南特產牛奶果 Vietnam Exclusive Fruit - Star Apple |
The one day trip ended with the visited in the fruit market. On the way back to Ho Chi Minh City took us three hours because of the traffic jam. My back was suffered and cracked.
今天另一個高潮就是晚飯後夜遊胡志明市和在路邊攤食宵夜，叔叔說那裡最有名便是羊乳，說羊乳很滑一定要試。我怕羊臊，所以從來都不吃羊肉，到路邊攤都只是想感覺氣氛。
Another highlighted of the day would be night visit in the town and having the midnight snack at the street hawker. My uncle told me the famous of the hawker is the goat milk*. It is a must try because it is very smooth. I am not a lamb person because the smell of the lamb is unendurable to me. I was just aim to feel to be a local in the street hawker.
胡志明除了郵局和教堂，還可以到市政廳附近走走，那裡有個廣場，有個地下噴水的嬉戲區，就像東涌港鐵站對出那個一模一樣。晚上出來走走，氣溫沒有中午那麼熱，小朋友便玩水，簡單的活動。
Other than the post office and the church in the town are the tourist spots recommended, the City Hall would be another option too. There is a Square which has a on the ground fountain, like the one outside Tung Chung MTR station. The kids were playing happily there and it was less hot at night. It became a fun activity for the family after dinner.
說回重點路邊攤，就正正在車路邊，人多便把幾張枱拼在一起變成「最後的晚餐式」長枱，大家坐在矮凳上，這就是越南Style！
The street hawker is right next to the road which the car passing. We had to combine a few tables together to form a Last Supper style table, so everyone fit in. Sitting at the small and low chair is the Vietnamese style.
這裡以鐵板燒為主，迷你瓦斯爐上放著細小的鐵板，店主也很細心，把食物切得很細小，令同一時間可以燒多款食物。叔叔說點了數份羊乳，我在枱上不停搜尋在那裡，但只見一些蔬菜、肉片和豆干，就是找不到羊乳飲品。叔叔手指我臉前那一碟豆干說「那就是羊乳！」
The street hawker served grilled food on a mini iron plate on a gas stove. The shop owner is very considerate because he cut the food into a mini size as well so the customer can grill different food at the same time. My uncle told me he ordered several sets of goat milk*, but I cannot find it even I searched on the table for a few times. I can find vegetable, beef and some dried tofu slices. Where is the milk?????? My uncle then pointed to the dried tofu slices in front of me saying that is the goat milk*.
I: Excuse me? Isn't the goat milk a drink?
叔叔「不是啦！要燒熟才能吃。」
Uncle: No. We have to grill it before eating.
明明就是羊奶，怎麼把他燒來吃，我十分費解？
Why do we need to grill the milk? I don't get it.....
叔叔「你知道這裡有多少頭羊嗎？」
Uncle: Do you know how many goats are here?
我「兩隻吧...」
I: Maybe two....
叔叔「兩隻？！一頭羊只有兩個奶奶，怎麼只得兩隻呀？」
Uncle: Two?! How could it be possible when one goat has only two boobs?
我「什...麼...？羊乳不是Milk 嗎？」
I: Huh? Did you just say boob?
叔叔「當然不是啦！」
Uncle: Yes. I did!
我「吓...羊乳是羊Lin Lin？」
I: So... that is the goat boobie??
* In Chinese, the character of MILK mean not only the drink, can also mean cheese, and boob.
我知道後呆了數分鐘，看著他們把一塊又一塊的「豆干羊乳」放落鐵板上燒，發出吱吱聲，羊乳遇熱收縮，我的臉容也跟著扭曲。他們還跟我說平常吃豬肉時，肉塊都有機會連著豬乳房，只是市面上沒有特別把豬乳房當作一種商品去售賣，所以吃羊乳也是一樣道理。天啊！這跟吃雞春子一樣，我接受不了！
I was not able to react once I know I made a mistake. I looked at the "dried tofu" in front of me and my relative put them on the iron plate. When it touched the plate, it immediately got cooked and the "meat" contract because of the heat. OMG.. i feel the pain on me. They told me the pork we eat also happened to connected to part of the boob or even the nipples. The market do not sell pig boob as a separated product, because that is low value. So they want to tell me I ate boob already when I have pork. But to eat the entire goat boob is like asking me to eat the chicken testicle which I cannot accept it.
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