To really experience a market, you must get up early. This morning we set out to do just that on our first full day in Vietnam. Chau Doc sits on the Bassac River in the upper Mekong Delta. The riverbanks are lined with fish farms, and produce-laden boats move through the waters among fishermen casting nets in small wooden boats. Our pre-breakfast outing included a sampling of food production and commerce in this busy market town. In the middle of the river we motored through dozens of larger boats brimming with melons, bananas, and other produce. This floating market is where vendors come to purchase produce to sell at markets elsewhere, from people who serve as the middlemen between farmers and the consumer and wholesale markets.
Closer to the shore we visited a floating house where a family farms fish in the waters underneath. Tilapia and catfish are raised in a netted area under the house, fed through doors in the floor, for both local markets and for exporting. The fish farm that we visited raises ~100,000 fish in a season, which provides for good income for the family.
In town, we walked through the bustling market where vendors sold a variety of fruits and vegetables, many of which we could not identify. On another row we saw meats, chicken, fish, eels, octopus, squid, and frogs for sale. Colorful tarps shaded us from the sun while motorbikes and people with carts weaved through the narrow aisles of the market.
To see the area surrounding the market, we mounted cyclos. Unlike the ones we rode in Phnom Penh just a few days ago, these cyclos consisted of two-wheeled carts behind a bicycle. Seamlessly we wove between other cyclists, motorbikes, and trucks, and quickly joined the flow of traffic around Chau Doc. Once again, we were able to experience local transportation as a way to see how people live and move in the towns we visit.
We continued our exploration of food production in the Upper Mekong Delta, moving from the busy market in the morning, downriver to a family farm in the afternoon. The Lam family welcomed us to their homestead where they grow chilies and a variety of fruit. Our hosts offered a sampling of regional fruit, shared songs with us in their home, and provided an intimate and welcoming glimpse into their lives. We ended the day as we have the last few…on the decks of Jahan, looking out over scenes of lives intricately tied to the river play out before us as the sun set over the horizon.
