The Mekong Delta area is a green expanse of paddy fields, thick orchards and an intricate pattern of streams and canals. Water is the focus of life and the main means of transportation. Floating houses and markets and fishing boats abound.
After crossing from Cambodia into Vietnam, we pitched up at Chau Doc- a sleepy sort of Vietnamese town that offered a glimpse of local life on the Mekong Delta. The detla, known as the "rice basket" of Vietnam, holds the country's most fertile farming areas. Some of the other group members and I decided to take a boat trip down the Mekong for 2hours. We sailed past many river houses, put together by all sorts of material- it was reminiscent of the Mumbai's slums, just floating and perhaps even more precarious. We stopped off at a fishing colony and took a closer look at how the river peoples live. I was surprised to hear that fisherman are incredibly wealthy and can earn 100,000's of dollars in sales of fish that they catch. We fed the millions of fish that swam beneath us and then moved onto another set of houses where weavers resided. Lots of old men and women were crammed into long rice boats (similar to the ones in Kerala, except smaller) along with their children, grandchildren, chickens, dogs- you name it, and waved us along the Mekong with smiles abound.
It was so uplifting to see how these people, who to us Westerners have nothing- no tv, electricity,or access to imported foods- lived their lives happily and perfectly functioning. This is reinforced furthermore when you understand just how much the landscape and the environment dictates the lives they lead. The annual rains, especially this year, can wash out their makeshift houses. They may lose everything but they dry themselves off and start over again. It makes one truly re-evaluate what you need in life to be healthy and happy.
So the sleepy town redeemed itself after that boat trip!We were only there for one night and were now headed for Ho Chi Minh City- also known as Saigon.
Px
