Our day started early at 6:30 am with a sunrise Vietnamese longboat ride through a wholesale floating market on the Mekong River just outside Chau Doc. On way into town we stopped at a floating fish farm. Once in Chau Doc we climbed into trishaws for a ride through the busy city streets and ended at a market where we spent time experiencing a hectic Vietnamese market. Later on board Jahan we attended a talk on the biodiversity of the Mekong and then a talk on photo composition. The day was topped off with a visit to a small village to sample local fruits and vegetables and the walk on a monkey bridge.
2/23/2024
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The Jahan
Binh Than Island and Cai Be, Vietnam
We hopped on sampans, local passenger boats, for a cruise to a small village on Binh Than Island to walk through local homes and learn about the process of weaving, drying, and exporting functional mats. At the local community center (which is also a colorful temple), we met with village elders for a short discussion about their lives and the area. Afterward, we did a leisurely cruise through the canals and got to witness the harvesting of water hyacinths, an invasive species common in the Mekong Delta. During the afternoon, we boarded sampans again to visit the island of Tan Phong to visit a group of women making baskets, souvenirs, and other items from water hyacinth. Then, we cruised around the town on six-seater golf carts for a scenic ride through the orchards. After boarding the sampans again, we headed to the small town of Phu An to visit a series of small workshops to see the production of a variety of items including rice paper, rice wine, and coconut candies. Everyone was able to sample the treats. Before dinner, the entire staff and crew of Jahan was introduced during our ship farewell cocktail hour and posed for photos.
