January 25     Can Tho and Phong Dien floating markets.

The mini-van ride here from Rach Gia was a bit harrowing. The road is two lanes wide, with four lanes of traffic. On one side of the white line, if there is a center line marked, there are all the 4 wheeled vehicles, everything from semi-trucks and every other size of truck, to a very few passenger cars going in one direction. Beside this line of traffic, to the right is a steady, unrelenting stream of motorbikes. On the opposite side of the highway there is the same configuration. Keep in mind the road is two lanes wide.

The mini-van driver spent the entire time passing other vehicles and all the motorbikes. The oncoming drivers are trying to do the same thing on their side. This went on for several hours and then, CRASH! the sound of glass shattering, right next to me. I was sitting directly behind the driver and thought that all the windows on that side of the van had broken. But no, it was only the driver's mirror which was completely shattered when he and another opposing driver clipped each other. We spent a half hour by the side of the road as both drivers sorted out the details. Minor, but scary.
Not being ready to repeat the experience, I scoured the internet to see what my other transportation options were for the return to HCMC. I was determined to take a coach, a Greyhound sized bus, since the odds seem better that anything crashing into that size vehicle would get the short end of the stick and the bus would be o.k. Leave it to Lonely Planet to only suggest mini-vans! I found a company and booked a return seat. 80,000 VND or $4.00 USD for a 5 hour trip. Transportation is a big bargain in this country.
Note the local, natural bling. The boat lady wove this grasshopper, necklace and bouquet of flowers while she was driving the boat. A true multi-tasker at heart.
The main reason I wanted to come to Can Tho is to see the floating market, which is one of the largest in the delta region. It's also near another big floating market, Phong Dien. I arranged to take a boat with a guide spent a half day on the water, going to and from the markets, exploring side canals and generally having a great time. Beats the min-van any day.

After my guide collected me at the hotel, we walked a few blocks to the riverfront and boarded the boat. It looked small and I wondered if I'd made a mistake, even though I specifically had chosen the smaller boat. As it turned out, it was perfect, just the right size for getting right in the middle of the floating market and going down the side canals.

Sunrise on the Can Tho River.

It looks peaceful and serene, but the river is a noisy place, with boat motors the loudest sound.

Big barges transport a variety of goods and are the largest boats on this part of the river. There is a deep water container port nearby, but those ships are not in this branch of the river.

My guide Chi spoke English, but I could understand only about 1/2 of what she said.

Along the river are many interesting sights, all part of the river culture of the delta area. Every river here is in some way a tributary of the Mekong River. What we Californians would classify as a large river, is usually just a small (by delta standards) Mekong offshoot.

Rice is exported and shipped in bags or in bulk in huge barges.

Many bridges cross these rivers to facilitate the overall transportation pattern in this region.

In the canals, single plank bridges are only for pedestrians.

A little bit more substantial bridge will carry motorbikes.

The first market was Can Tho floating market. It is a fruit and vegetable market, although there are some other items also.

Most of the boat vendors are women, at least on the smaller boats.

The photos show what it is like, but what you don't get are the smells, the heat, the humidity, the noise of the boat motors, and the chattering of the people which make up the whole experience. This is the second market we visited, Phong Dien.

 If you're unsure what item a particular boat is selling, just look on the pole, where there is a sample of the item. Pineapple, root veggies, whatever. This looks like pumpkin.

The variety of fruits in this region are amazing. You'd think they were all farmed in some kind of organized pattern, but when we got to the canals and walked around, most of the vegetation growing along roadside and paths is edible in some way and finds itself to the marketplace. The fruit is on backyard trees. There are at least five different kinds of bananas.

Coconut trees are abundant.

Also water coconut. The black fruit is edible and the leaves are used for weaving.

Rice is everywhere. Can Tho University has a rice research department and experiments with different varieties and fertilizers. This hot, humid climate produces three rice crops each year.

A new thing is a two crop field, rice and cucumbers. Crop rotation?

When we arrived back at Can Tho, this is the place where I jumped off the boat and proceeded up to the street. The boat lady struggled with rowing through the water hyacinth clumps. Not your spiffy docking area.

The riverfront in Can Tho is a happening place, alive with vendors, tourists and Tet preparations. There is a nice promenade and the Can Tho river is bustling with commerce. Small ferries cross the river with motorbikes and pedestrians or boat ladies will row or motor you across in a small boat. This is a nice dinner spot on a pier over the river. What's for dinner? Fish!

At night a small performance stage was set up and amateur performers sang, danced and performed skits, a warm-up for Tet. 

The river culture is ages old in this part of the world. The river-craft have not changed much over time and are still serviceable for the jobs at hand on the river and probably will be in the future.