The day was dedicated to the discovery of the Mekong Delta, and the daily life and local economy in Sadec and Cai Be.
We left in the early morning on two sampans to Binh Thanh Island, close to the town of Sadec. As usual in the delta region, the landscape offers striking variations from luxuriant banks that offer the impression of a deserted island to a sharp contrast of intense human activity.
On the way to Binh Tanh Island, family fish farms are dotted along the river almost without interruption and only the presence of bigger fish factories here and there makes us realize what statistics would have otherwise told us: Vietnam has become one very important fish exporter.
On the island, one has the impression that the smallest acre of land is exploited. We could witness numerous ingenious activities such as mat weaving and the making of several objects on which a part of the local economy is based such as baskets made out of aquatic plants.
We had an extremely pleasant meeting with an old local couple who invited us in their family temple. The place was also used as a communal house and as a school. They talked about life in the region, the war and the current local situation, kindly answering the numerous questions we asked them.
After lunch and a little rest, it was time to discover Cai Be.
We had the opportunity to discover the small local factories where a number of products are made: coconut candies, pop rice, rice paste, and local alcohol, to mention only a few products. What was particularly instructive for us was to look at our guests showing and explaining to us the whole processing which was remarkably ingenious.
We could then indulge in a somewhat lazy contemplation of the banks of Cai Be as the sampan took us back to the Jahan. On our way back the landscape offered us the sharp contrasts that characterize so well this part of Vietnam: banks of the river covered with houses on stilts, a cathedral shaped austere church and as usual, the people’s friendly smiles and welcoming gestures.
