Mekong Delta, Vietnam

One of many women boat drivers (note colorful clothing!)

The Mekong is one of the world’s great rivers and its delta is one of the world’s largest.  It seems only fitting that Daron and I should spend a little time in this area, after following the Mekong River through Thailand, Laos, and Cambodia.  In this area of Vietnam the Mekong splits into numerous branches before spilling into the South China Sea.  All of these branches explain the Vietnamese name for the Mekong:  the River of Nine Dragons.  This area is primarily rural and one of the most densely populated areas of the country.  Nearly all of it is intensively farmed, as evidenced by the extensive rice paddies everywhere we looked. Rice is the single most important crop in Vietnam, involving over 50% of the workforce population. Other important crops are fish, sugarcane, fruit, coconut, and shrimp.

Vendor headed to the floating market

Speaking of rice, I recently learned what a labor intensive product it is!  Much of the work is carried out without modern machinery.  Fields are plowed with the help of water buffaloes, seeds are individually planted by hand, and when the seedlings reach a certain age they have to be individually uprooted and transplanted to another field to avoid root rot.  This painstaking process is mostly undertaken by women. Rice plants take three to six months to grow, depending on the type and environment.  When ready to harvest, the plants are thigh-high and in about one foot of water.  The grains grow in drooping fronds and are cut by hand, then transported by wheelbarrow to thrashing machines that separate the husk from the plant.  Other machines are used to "dehusk" the rice for brown rice, or "polish" it for white rice.  The rice is then spread out on the ground to dry before milling.  For such a cheap product, I was surprised to find out how extensive the entire process is!

Floating market traffic

After all the excitement of getting to Can Tho, we decided to take it easy our first day in Vietnam.  We had breakfast at the hotel, then wandered around the riverfront area, where everyone and their sister wanted to give us a boat ride (traditionally the boat drivers are women, which I found interesting).  We ended up booking a boat trip for the next day so we could see the floating markets. 

The morning of our trip we met our boat driver at 5:30 am outside our hotel.  He walked us the short distance to his boat and before we knew it we were on our way down the Mekong.  Lots of other tourists were in boats doing the same thing.  We watched the sun rise as we headed to the first market, which was quite impressive.  It could have been a scene from the movie “Waterworld.”   The boats, or junks, as they’re called, are all moored in one area – it’s obvious that the boats are not only used for cargo, but are also people’s homes.  It is a whole other way of life out here!  The masts on each boat show what is for sale.  A mast may have a carrot, a potato, and lettuce hanging off of it, or whatever other vegetables they’re selling.   It was amazing to see the large amounts of produce piled high on the boats, with transactions taking place all around us. 

Looks like a scene from the movie Waterworld!

On our way to the next market we made a quick stop to visit an operation that makes rice paper.  We saw them boiling the rice into soup basically, then spreading it on a burner like a crepe, then lifting it onto a bamboo rack so it could dry in the sun.  After it dries it will be cut into consistent sizes.  It’s a very manual process; none of it is mechanized.  We only saw two women at the place, doing everything themselves.  

Back on the boat we eventually made it to the next floating market, which was much smaller than the first.   We may have arrived a little late, since it took a while to get there.  It had a very intimate feel though, with lots of small boats just like the one we were in, all next to each other.  We joined the crowd – our driver bought a pineapple and carved it up for us (delicious!), and we purchased a flatbread sort of thing, as well as a coconut drink.  The market people were very friendly and we enjoyed interacting with them, even though they spoke very little English and we spoke no Vietnamese! 

Boat mast showing what's for sale

Our boat driver made our trip fabulous!  He had such a fun personality.  When we weren’t at markets he was fashioning all sorts of things from bamboo leaves.  He made me a ring, a necklace, a bracelet, earrings, a pinwheel, and a grasshopper.  He would drive the boat with his knee while folding bamboo leaves.  They were amazing works of art!  He really made the trip fun for us. 

On another note, the “pajamas as clothes” style is alive and well here in Vietnam!  In Cambodia the style was men’s pajamas (in feminine colors), with the collar and buttons down the front.  Here in Vietnam it’s more like flashy colorful matching tops and bottoms, sometimes with short sleeves, or a boat neck, or capris – all different shapes.  The main thing is that both the top and bottom are the same crazy fabric (although sometimes they're not - it makes me dizzy to look at them!).  I’m curious to know how the trend started because it’s really taken off!

Yet another plastic bag gets caught in the propeller!

Tomorrow we leave on a real bus (hopefully) for Saigon, otherwise known as Ho Chi Minh City.  We’re looking forward to getting a taste of the big city.