Can Tho

The evening before traveling to Can Tho I did two things.  First I reserved a room at the magnificent Victoria Can Tho getting a crazy good last minute deal. Second, I secured spots for a Floating Market Tour with Heiu’s Tour Company.  Both proved to be excellent choices.

The 7-hour floating market tour started at 4:10 am.  Seeing the sun rise on the river was worth every second of missed sleep.  A picture is worth a 1,000 words, so here goes:

Many of the boats have eyes in the front to ensure one never gets  lost.  Larger boats bring produce from the fields to sell.  Smaller boats purchase from the larger boats and re-sell.  The “Seller” boats stay for as long as it takes to move all of their product.  Each large boat sports a long pole with a sample of  its wares tied to the pole to advertise.

The floating markets are rapidly shrinking in size. The change is attributed to the dramatic improvement in roads and modernization of transportation throughout the Mekong Delta. Simply put, it has become easier and much more efficient to transport produce over land. The floating market commerce is a way of life for many.  There are concerns over what will happen if the markets completely disappear.

Our Floating Market tour included breakfast, Vietnamese style. Fresh fruit and a bowl of noodles is a great way to start the day.

Can Tho is a delightful mid-sized city.  I would definitely stay there an extra day or two given the opportunity.  A lovely waterfront boardwalk meanders from one end of town to the other. Saturday night at the waterfront city center was extremely active and  safe.  Wedding celebration parties, families eating picnic style with young children wearing pajamas, and couples strolling hand-in-hand mingled with tourists from around the world. The scene reminded me of an active Mexican Zocalo on a weekend night.

We ate dinner on a pier overlooking the river.  Conde had frog legs.  I had a fresh seafood stew with local vegetables, including bright yellow pumpkin flowers, cooked table side. And, the wine wasn’t half bad either.

Less than 24 hours after our arrival in Can Tho we departed for Chau Doc.  A three hour drive northeast on the river near the Cambodian border.  Having become Futa Bus Masters, we opted for this mode of transportation.  $4 US for the two of us.

Did you Know?

• There are over there are over 1,740 miles of canals in the Mekong Delta.
• Cambodia controlled the Mekong Delta until the 18th Century and some still refer to the region as “Lower Cambodia.”
• In the late 1970s the Khmer Rouge attempted to reclaim “Lower Cambodia” provoking the Vietnamese to invade Cambodia on Christmas Day, 1978, ousting the Khmer Rouge from power.
• Vietnam is one of the world’s largest exporter of rice.
• 70% of the rice consumed in Vietnam comes from the Mekong Delta.

See you in Chau Doc then on to Cambodia!

For All you Geezers on the Go, Keep on Keeping On!