Sa Dec & Cai Be, Vietnam
Today we continued our travels in the fascinating and fecund water world of the Mekong Delta. The mighty Mekong divides into nine major distributaries in southeastern Vietnam, hence the Vietnamese name for the river in its final manifestation before flowing to its destiny in the South China Sea: Cuu Long, which means Nine Dragons. In addition to the nine watery dragons, there are literally innumerable smaller distributaries, canals, rivulets and byways—and every capillary is teeming with life and mercantile activity. From this wondrous web of water springs 60 percent of Vietnam’s rice production (and that is a lot of rice: Vietnam overtook Thailand in 2012 as the world’s #1 rice exporter) as well as a million metric tons of fish and a bounty of fruits and vegetables that add up to 30 percent of Vietnam’s total GDP. The river also provides drinking water and serves as the main artery for transportation and commerce in the region.
We set anchor near the town of Sa Dec and took local longboats (sampans) to pastoral Binh Thanh Island. On the way we passed a myriad of fish farms and floated in between rafts of picturesque albeit invasive water hyacinth. We saw local women hard at work cutting the stems that will be dried and used in weavings. On the island we were introduced to the local cottage industry of reed mat weaving from a local species of tall thin grass that makes for especially strong and pliable mats. In town center we visited a community social center, which doubles as a temple dedicated to the local folk god of the harvest. In the temple we saw no Buddhist iconography and only a hint of Taoist influence in the dragon and phoenix effigies. It was clear that ancient animistic folk religion was the dominant theme here. We had a fascinating and moving discussion with village elders who recounted their poignant life stories through the tumultuous history of now serene Vietnam.
The Jahan repositioned beyond the town of Sa Dec and we enjoyed another sampan ride through the water world as we returned to the ship. On board we enjoyed another delicious lunch while the ship cruised further downriver to take us to our afternoon destination, the bustling fruit and vegetable market town of Cai Be, 60 miles from Saigon and home to a population exceeding 300,000. Boarding our covered sampans again we cruised slowly through the town’s famous floating market and had no trouble identifying what each vendor was proffering since the particular produce sold was hoisted high on a pole for all to see. We cruised by Cai Be’s slender-spired French Gothic cathedral and then navigated a network of labyrinthine waterways on our way to the small hamlet of Phu An, where we visited a collective of local cottage industries making a number of products including diaphanous rice paper (ultimately destined for spring rolls), creamy coconut candy, and surprisingly tasty puffed rice. We enjoyed a leisurely cruise back to the ship along the channels and canals that weave the tapestry of the Mekong Delta.
Back on board we enjoyed a festive cocktail party together and had the pleasure of seeing the amiable Mr. Win Min introduce and recognize his entire crew along with Captain Quy. We offered our heartfelt thanks to all of the Cambodian and Vietnam staff of the Jahan who made our Mekong voyage so sweet and memorable. We also added special thanks to our excellent Vietnamese guides, Mr. Tri and Mr. Tai.
After a fabulous farewell dinner we were treated to an extraordinary double-feature presentation. The first presentation was a photo-montage prepared by the Jahan staff that featured hundreds of photographs of our week-long journey together including several shots of each and every one of us. The second was a photo archive of our trip beautifully prepared by our photography expert Karen Copeland and included select photographs contributed by all of us. This was a wonderful way to end our unforgettable Mekong journey.
Tomorrow morning we will disembark at My Tho and make our way to Vietnam’s largest, most exciting, and ever-energized city, Saigon. (All but staid North Vietnamese government officials still refer to it as Saigon, although its name was formally changed to Ho Chi Minh City in 1975.) We will be in for a treat as we explore this historic and bustling metropolis of almost 10 million people (with almost 4 million motorbikes!), which is Vietnam’s business engine as well as its primary gateway to the world.
