The Mekong

I have heard so much about the Mekong River and Delta that I guess that I had created a mythological water paradise.  It was not.  In fact, it turns out that the Mekong is just a really big river.  But, it is pretty cool.

The Mekong Delta is not so much a river but a shallow sea where people are trying to live.  It is just water, water everywhere (and plenty to drink). 

 

 

 

Most patches of dirt between the waters are enough for a house but most houses don’t need dirt at all as they are built on poles over the water.  All houses are built on poles since even if there is dirt beneath sometimes, all it takes is a little rain before that dirt is underwater.

 

Transportation is by boat.  Cars would be pretty useless around here.  The motors here are these really simple yet ingenious contraptions.  By the driver is a simple motor that is attached to a long pole.  On the end of the pole is the propeller and he turns the boat by turning the whole motor.  To go in reverse, you just lift the whole thing out and point it to the front.

 

 

 

 

 

 

For short distances, there are paths and these cool bridges for walking an cycling.  Mostly, they just look really picturesque.

The real reason to see the delta are the floating markets.  Given the lack of land and the abundance of boats, the obvious place to put a market is, of course, on the river.  Basically people fill up their boat with they chosen veggie/meat and sell it there. 

 

Advertising is a matter of sticking what you are selling on a pole.  It seems to work.  This guy is selling pineapple.  Yum.

 

 

 

This was the last stop for Vietnam.  After a month, our visa was about to expire.  As we moved north to south, the people became friendlier (we became less easily offended) and we saw some amazing places.  Vietnam has definitely emerged from its many years of war and really is a wonderful place to visit.  Don’t let those who fought there tell you differently!