Today is our first full day in Vietnam, and what an amazing contrast it is from what we’ve seen so far in Cambodia. Vietnam is incredibly industrious, which is made very obvious after spending a week in laidback Cambodia.
The day starts very early, and we board local longboats at 6:30 a.m. just as the sun is rising on the horizon. We cruise through a floating market as we make our way to the morning destination of Chau Doc. These floating merchants were selling everything from vegetables to fish, and even a few going around with breakfast bowls of noodle soup. This was a great opportunity for photography, especially given the beautiful morning light.
Once ashore in Chau Doc, we explored a local market and then took another unforgettable form of local transportation: the Vietnamese version of the cyclo, also known as the trishaw. We then boarded the local boats and made our way to a small floating house that doubled as an aquaculture operation. It was an incredible experience standing on top of over 40,000 fish, especially when our guide threw handfuls of food into the water and we watched as thousands of fish splashed around as they fought over the pellets.
Once back on board, naturalist Max Seigal gave a talk on the “Fisheries of the Mekong” to help put all the fishing activities that we are seeing along the river into perspective. After his talk, we had another glorious Jahan lunch, followed by an afternoon of cruising and another talk by historian Barry Till entitled “In the Shadow of the Dragon.” Barry’s talk covered the history of Vietnam and its influence from China. After the lecture, we arrived at our afternoon destination of My An Hung where we visit a small family farm. We had the opportunity to walk through the crop fields, sample farm fresh vegetables and fruits, and for those brave enough, a chance to walk across a traditional monkey bridge.
It’s been an action packed day here in Vietnam, and surely one that we will never forget!
