Colin and I made our way from the Vietnam border at Ha Tien to the city of Can Tho. Can Tho is the largest city in the Mekong Delta region and has many activities and sights to offer it's visitors. One of the most popular things to do is a tour of the floating markets.
We decided to splurge a little and bought a tour through our guest house. We could have found a cheaper option, but decided to go the easy route for a few more dollars and not have deal with the hassel of doing it independently.
Our tour was just the two of us and our boat driver - a swell guy who introduced himself to us as Hon. Hon met us outside our hostel at 5:30am and off we went!
After following the Mekong for the past six weeks, it was a fitting farewell to the mighty river. The early start meant we got to see the sunrise one last time over the water.
Our first stop was at the Cai Rang Floating Market. It is the biggest floating market in the Mekong Delta. We saw a myriad of fruits and vegetables being sold and were fascinated by the variety of shapes, sizes, and colors of the boats.
Most of the boats had long bamboo poles sticking up into the air, advertizing what goods were for sale. The boat pictured above was selling onions, pumpkins, and garlic.
Hon was kind enough to buy and cut a pineapple for us. What a guy!
Next we took in the Phong Dien Market. This one was much smaller and there were very few motorized boats. The majority were row boats. Again, there was fresh produce and friendly vendors. This time we were given a fresh, ripe mango to sample.
Next we turned off the main water way into a narrow canal. It was nice to see such a quiet, remote area so near a large city. Farmers, fishermen, people washing clothes, and children playing in the water were just a few of the sights to which we were treated. Colin was especially excited about the numerous mudskippers we saw, flopping back and forth on the muddy banks. As we moved along, we were suprised at how many different canals we saw shooting off in many direction. Props to the drivers that navigate this maze!
Due to the high amount of rubbish that is found in the Mekong, we occasionally had to stop so Hon could remove the plastic bag or piece of rope that has wrapped itself around the propeller.
After a few hours on the boat, it was great to get out and stretch our legs. We were dropped off on shore and instructed to meet the boat further down the canal. The path was surrounded by fruit trees of all kinds: coconut, mango, papaya, jack fruit (my new favorite), apples, and bananas.
Our driver was waiting for us at a lovely, scenic restaurant. There we order the fresh fish direct from the river and enjoyed perhaps the best meal we have had in southeast Asia.
After relaxing for a while and admiring the beautiful gardern, we loaded the boat and headed back to the city.
Our tour was about 7 hours long with a very early start, which left us plenty of time to explore other parts of Can Tho. This trip is a delight to the senses....delicious food, beautiful sights, hectic markets, and peaceful resting spots. Well worth it!
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