Floating Market Madness

Trip Start Jul 25, 2006
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Trip End Ongoing


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Monday, September 1, 2008

Walking down the small alley, shapes seemed to flick about in the darkness. Water lapped against the bank, and boats bobbed in the river current. A face came out of the darkness, and we were introduced to our boat driver. As in so many other countries in the world in my experience, the woman of Vietnam seemed to work the hardest and most frequently. We had arranged to take a boat out the famous floating market of CanTho, and then make our way back along the back waters of the Delta and into the city again.

After being dumped onto our older lady driver, we headed out in the morning dawn and into the middle of the swift, wide Mekong. Our skipper spoke little English, but communicated through smiles and the repeated use of the world "ok". We got along just fine. Our little boat headed down the river, being chased by the rays of the sunrise, until we reached the Cai Rang Floating Market. This is a massive collection of boats, big and small, selling all kinds of fresh produce and food stuffs. Our little boat rolled across the wakes of larger boats as we wandered between the various vendors and their crafts. In amazing displays of dexterity and seamanship, old women stood in the back of small wooden boats, propelling their vessels with deft strokes of long oars. Similar to Chao Doc, but one a much larger scale, entire lives were lived out on the open decks of these boats.

After poking around the marker for a while, our driver took us into the back waters of the Delta. We stopped along the way at a small business that made rice paper wrappers used in Vietnam's famous spring rolls. After this, we made our way slowly back to Can Tho through the back ways where small houses perched over the river, and in places the surrounding palm leaves leaned over the river creating a tunnel of green light to cruise through. The peaceful setting, the lull of the boat engine, and the heat of the day soon drew Danayi into sleep. Thinking one of us should stay awake in case the other fell in, or our captain decided to sell us to river pirates, I strived to stay awake but soon fell into a series of vicious head nods as my body fought off sleep.

It was a peaceful day.

The next day, Danayi and I saw our first drive by mugging. Movies such as Full Metal Jacket (remember Joker's camera?) had left the image of the snatch and grab in my mind, but I had never witnessed it. I only saw the tail end, while Danayi saw the entire thing. A moped cruised slowly along with two young men on it. It approached a young woman standing on the side of the road with her purse. Suddenly the passenger grabbed the purse and the moped engine screamed as the driver gunned it and they fled. Her yell and the obvious noise of the moped's engine quickly drew a crowd of onlookers who clucked sympathetically and then moved on.

This was about the extent of the excitement the town had to offer, and after a few days we moved onto HCMC (Saigon).
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