The last 2 days have been spent in the Mekong delta’s capital city of Can Tho. Here, one of the offshoots of the river Mekong provides the town with a prosperous riverside community and economy based primarily on the sale of fruit and vegetables. You can see this by taking a day trip on a tiny longboat 20k down stream to visit the Floating Markets.
I had visions of the markets being small, wooden huts (much like conventional land markets) on Jettys, floating on the river, separated by small canals wide enough to allow a longtail boat through. I was wrong; they were literally boats filled with an assortment of fruits and vegetables - piloted by women in Vietnamese “dome” hats, that lay stationary by the river banks - distinguishable by long bamboo sticks pointing upward into the sky, that hang the various produce being sold. Our driver - the legendary Huc - navigated these markets like a pro, picking pineapples and sour Vietnamese lychees, and offering them to us for our breakfast (we left the hotel at 5:30 am and got to the markets within an hour). The second we arrived at a Market, a middle-aged man accompanied by a kid holding soft drinks, sped over to us in an attempting to peddle his wares. You’re not safe, even on the river. Sigh.
After a couple of hours of fruit tasting and witty banter with Huc - Did I mention he was a legend? - we stopped due to low tide, and were told to walk about 2km as the boat would be too heavy with us inside. The walk gave us a taster of rural Mekong life, the road meandering along the rivers edge full of trees, bamboo, banana, pepper, jackfruit and lavender plants and humble houses and shacks containing excitable Vietnamese people who were more than willing to pose for photos (classic V hand gesture).
We arrived at a homestay and were fed very well, and for next to nothing ($8 dollars for 3 mains, 3 drinks, raw sweet potato and a bunch of fruit). Huc then took us back to the longboat, and back down the river to Can Tho, where I fell asleep in the sun for an hour. A truly amazing experience, augmented by a truly legendary guide. Huc, you are indeed, a legend. Back to Saigon now, Cu Chi tunnels and AK-47s await (added rocket launcher for good measure).
