Our journey from Cambodia to Vietnam included a total of ten hours in transit, from a crowded minibus to a wooden motorboat, which took us down the Mekong River for most of the day. The motor was too loud for anyone to talk, but the ride was scenic. About midday we stopped at the Vietnamese border; my first-ever crossing by water! A freindly Vietnamese lady named San processed our passports while we ate lunch, chatting with us and making jokes.
On the Vietnamese side we changed to a smaller and quieter boat, which took us into the Mekong River Delta. We soon turned down the Hau Giang River, where water buffalos grazed on the banks, boats drifted, and people washed various tiems in the muddy water. Kids swam and played, waving excitedly as we passed by.
Chau Doc's daily market lined the streets starting right outside our hotel door, spreading throughout several blocks toward the center of town. I took a walk through first thing in the morning when it was in full swing, squeezing through narrow passages among the action. Women in colorful printed outfits and cone-shaped straw hats pushed carts of fruit, sold vegetables, flowers, and cakes. I bought a spongy, presunmably rice-based cake in a completely pantomimed transaction, and wander around eating it while trying to guess its contents. Rows and rows of dried fish hang above overflowing baskets of other various preserved fish. The hot air is thick and pungent in the meat section, where there are plucked chickens in a bin with claws up in the air, unidentifiable animal innards, and tanks of sea creatures, many still alive.
I notice there aren't many foreigners in Chau Doc - in fact, the only ones we encounter during our stay are a German couple from our boat, Katia and Tobias. We end up sharing the occasional meal with them over the next few days and realize we're on a similar path.
Before we entered Vietnam, I'd had this image of the delta being lined with sleepy rural towns, but Chau Doc isn't one of them. Though it's relatively small, it still has that horn-honking, frenetic, Southeast Asian feel. There are very few cars; motorbikes are the main means of transport and there are always people wanting to take you around for a small fee. Riding on one was quite scary, but a great way to see the surrounding area. As we rode along, I looked ahead down the street and momentarily wondered if there was a parade or special event happening - but no, it was just an ordinary evening in town.
