Jahan anchors near the town of Sadec and we travel by local sampan to visit the large island of Binh Thanh, passing family-owned floating fish farms, raising red snapper. When fully grown in three or four months, these will be transported to nearby factories for processing and shipping to local and world markets. We also pass through immense “fields” of water hyacinth. Far from being considered invasive, this plant, with its elegant (and edible) purple flower, is used to form natural fish traps or harvested, cut and dried to manufacture baskets, mats, hats, shoes and other items.
Landing at one of Binh Thanh’s ferry landings, we visit the main village where sleeping mats, large and small, are being produced for sale in mainland markets. The painstaking weaving work is undertaken by the local women, as the men are often out fishing, working in the cities, or, often, at home drinking rice wine. We meet a pair of village elders who comment on life on the island and their own histories, which include their experience of the “American” war, in which the lady lost two husbands, and the gentleman was imprisoned for self-mutilation to evade conscription. We return by a circuitous route that takes us past lush plantations of banana, mango, and papaya. The morning concludes with a knowledgeable talk by Max Seigal on sustainable lobster aquaculture in Vietnam.
In the afternoon, we continue downriver under the recently constructed “Australian” My Thuan suspension bridge across the Mekong to the old town of Cai Be with its attractive century-old church. Our sampan passes the impressive floating market and we disembark at a small business that produces rice products: paper, whiskey, puffed rice, and coconut toffees. We sample these delicacies and the shoppers avail themselves of a chance to purchase original paintings and woven products from the region.
This is our last full day in the Delta, so a sumptuous farewell dinner is in order, as well as entertainment and dancing by our warm and wonderful Jahan crew, who have served us so well throughout this varied and stimulating voyage.
