- RITA ELLIOTT PHOTO
Stephanie and mom 'floating' down the Mekong.
Rita Elliott, Contributor
A DAY TRIP in the Mekong Delta, one week short of my 60th birthday, I found myself sitting on the back of a motorcycle, holding on for dire life to a frail Vietnamese, while we zapped through a dirt road in the Delta Mekong, Vietnam. A wedding party saw us pass and cheered wildly.
All this because, while on vacation in Saigon, (Vietnam), my daughter Stephanie stated that we ought to spend a day in the Mekong Delta area. We had to see the floating markets.
She was firm. It all started so peacefully ...
Early one morning a guide, accompanied by a driver, picked us up - sharp on time - and off we went for ... a mere five-hour bumpy drive.
FIRST STOP
When we made our first stop, standing on the bank of the river, I had to admit that this floating market was a delight to watch: Boats loaded with produce from nearby orchards of the Mekong Delta all had converged to the place. They carried mostly fruits but also, vegetables, dry goods and fish.
To make it easier for everyone to see exactly what stock they had for sale, sellers would tie samples to a bamboo pole, removing items from the pole as they sold out. Buyers are local traders with bigger boats; they were snapping everything by the bushels and would later resell the goods at local markets or to wholesale dealers from big cities, often for a handsome profit.
In fact, these family-sized house boats were altogether places of residence and business. The impressive gathering was completed by floating restaurants, floating gas stations and an occasional tour boat filled with tourists.
And talking of tourist boats ... Our guide was standing by the water, looking at four low vessels seemingly made of light plywood. They were attached in such way that only one was moored to solid ground, while the others were further back in the water.
"We are going on the boat, now," the guide announced. Without further ado, he jumped in the first vessel and hopped from one embarkation to the other until he reached the last, and furthest one ... Our captain and darling daughter merrily followed suite. All three were young and slim. Unfortunately, I was neither; the water currents caused the little boats to bob up and down and I was terrified to lose my balance and end up in the water. Ignoring their jokes, I took my time.
But take my word for it: If you are a fellow couch potato, do not attempt this routine. It's frightening!
A FLOATING WORLD
We first set off for a little candy-making factory installed on the bank of a river in the Delta. This one-hour long trip gave us time to observe again in wonder the daily life of a floating world.
Flat as a pancake, the Mekong Delta is lusciously green, beautiful and located in the southernmost region of Vietnam. The main waterway is so large that it has two tides per day!
The land through which the Mekong and it numerous tributaries flows is renowned for its richness, and almost half of it is under cultivation. The area is known as Vietnam's 'bread basket', though 'rice basket' would be more appropriate!
We watched as a boat-full of girls coming back from school jumped on the muddy river bank without ever soiling their demure traditional bao dai dresses, all pearly white. A barge was getting gas from a station built so close to the water that it seemed on the verge of falling in.
At one point, a large barge passed us by. A woman with her traditional cone hat was calmly steering; behind her, a man was sleeping in a hammock. A cool breeze was blowing; everything was calm and quite, heavenly.
VIETNAMESE PEOPLE
The woman never looked at us for Vietnamese people are serious citizens. They seldom smile nor do they lose their temper. They all look rather calm and at peace. So it can be disconcerting.
Yet, it is worth remembering that during their long history, these same people, so quiet and frail-looking, got rid of the Chinese who occupied their land for 1,000 years, and the French who colonised Vietnam for about 100 years. It took them a mere 30 years to dispose of the American army, the mightiest force the world had ever known.
The candy-making factory turned out to be a thriving little family business whose main activity was the production of ... popcorn. Their method was a bit primitive, requiring the use of huge cauldrons above small wooden fires, but the end result was delicious. So were their ginger candies. Sure, a table with a few postcards and items meant for tourists were also on display. Nobody's heart was really into this side of the business, though.
Tourism is still in its infancy in Vietnam and few entrepreneurs have grasped, so far, its potential. The few Western tourists touring the place liked it just fine that way.
We stayed just long enough to thoroughly enjoy our visit without having time to get bored, even slightly. Great timing. Our next stop was one we had been looking forward to: lunch in a bonsai garden.
After indulging in another 'hopping from boat to firm grounds and vice-versa' routine, we climbed a steep path, to reach a dirt road. A few smiling Vietnamese gentlemen were waiting for us. They were sitting on little motorcycles whose usefulness wasn't immediately obvious to me.
RESTAURANT IN A BONSAI GARDEN
"Now we take short trip by motorcycle to restaurant in bonsai garden," declared our guide in his usual succinct way
I briefly considered drowning myself but, in the end, I was the first one to climb on the back of a motorcycle. Cleverly, I had picked the sturdiest-looking one. My memory of the experience remains fuzzy. I do remember Stephanie overtaking us and flashing me one enormous smile.
Obviously, watching Mommy doing a balancing act at the back of a motorcycle was enormous fun.
The restaurant in the bonsai garden was a splendid culinary experience. First, we got 'pho', the traditional 'noodle and two meats' soup. When the steaming bowl of liquid is placed in front of you, the first thing to do is to tear off bits from the leaves of a fresh green vegetable (a bit like callaloo in looks) served as a side dish, and throw them in the soup. Then you add the desired amount of two very hot, very piquant sauces and taste to see whether your mouth is burning to desired fierceness. Afterwards, we got a delicious local fish, served whole in a rather flashy way, and surrounded by a heap of shrimps and interesting edible bits.
Having indulged in far too much food, I took a walk in the bonsai garden and, making my way through the tall, potted trees, I marvelled once again at how the Vietnamese concept of bonsai plants differed from the Japanese one.
HIGHLIGHT
The lunch was the highlight of our trip and afterwards, it was time to return to our base in Saigon. This took place without undue rush and in a convoluted way as rivers seldom flow straight.
It's while floating calmly on a narrower section of the Mekong that I found myself staring straight into the eyes of a head that was sort of, well, bobbing on the water surface. The head must be attached I hoped fervently to a pair of live shoulders but the water was too murky for me to be certain. Politely, the head bowed to me. I bowed back. What else was I supposed to do?
"Nothing to worry about, sing-songed our guide, he is looking for fresh water shells."
This was the last incident of a rather pleasant boating trip in the Mekong Delta. Our rented car and the driver were waiting for us. Never keep tourists waiting seems to be the Vietnamese Tourist Office's motto. We bumped up and down all during the lengthy trip home. Never mind. We had experienced something really different and the memory would stay with us forever.
