By Mumbi Munene
Photos from various sources
The morning sunshine streaming in through my window woke me up with a stir, but it was the memory of our tour guide’s voice saying that we were to be “ready at 7.15am” that made me summon enough energy to get out of bed and hop into the shower. We were to assemble in the hotel lobby, and as soon as I got there I was greeted by the sight of my fellow travelers hunched over the lobby chairs, weary from seven nights of enjoyment and blog work.
After we had all huddled in the hotel lobby, we headed out towards a large boat that took us to Cai Rai, one of the largest floating markets on the shore of Can Tho City, which lies on the Mekong River. The markets hosts up to 900 small and large boats selling various types of fruit and vegetables. When we arrived at the market, it became clear to me that the floating market not only sold fruits and vegetables, but also sustained an entire floating lifestyle. The sight of children sleeping in hammocks and dogs guarding boats made it apparent that traders not only sold their produce on the river, but also lived on the boats they use for trade. The floating market of Cao Rai is therefore extremely unique, not only because it is a market on water, but because the traders essentially live their lives afloat. As soon as we arrived at the market we were transferred into a smaller boat that made mobility around the water much easier. We were given a tour of the entire market. I was amazed by the sight of hundreds of boats not only selling market goods, but also providing transport and even toilet facilities for tourists and locals. The traders were keen to flock their boats around our little tourist-filled vessel in an attempt to sell us their exotic fruits or (much needed) morning coffee. Personally though, the most amusing sight was that of a petrol station that seemed to be randomly floating on the water surrounding it. I had expected a floating market to be a series of small boats selling fruits and vegetables, but was amazed to realize that an entire community existed not only around the river, but also on it.
After observing the floating lifestyle, we headed to a rice farm to learn how rice noodles are made. But even after observing all the stages of the process, I am still quite confused about how rice transforms into noodle. After a long period of observing the noodle making process, some of us travelers were distracted by the sight of the animals around the rice farm. While one traveler received a dirty hug from a particularly friendly pig, another was amazed by the sight of a large cock standing proud in a small cage and yet another made friends with a fluffy and friendly puppy. It seemed that we were all becoming rather comfortable with the docile rural lifestyle, and were quite content to take a few minutes observing all the animals around the farm. The next tour activity took us to a rice factory where over 1000 kilograms of rice are produced every hour. However, the factory was so hot and humid, I could hardly concentrate on the information we were receiving from the tour guide. He informed us that Vietnam is the third largest exporter of rice in the world and that Southern Vietnam experiences three harvests a year, with each harvest lasting up to three months.
It was only 11:30am when we boarded our boat back to Can Tho City and were released for lunch. After a hearty Chinese meal, we set out to explore other parts of the city. Near our lunch restaurant was a beautiful Pagoda called the Chua Ong Temple, and it was one of the most intricate and beautifully designed temples I have ever seen. We then visited a large statue of Ho Chi Minh in the center of the city. I spent my final moments in the Delta city buying the renowned traditional straw hats that are worn by women in Vietnam.
The rest of the day was spent on the bus heading back to Saigon City. I spent most of the journey trying to figure out how eight days could have gone by so quickly, and I did not want to come to terms with the fact that we would soon be back in Malaysia. It seemed everyone else on the bus was on the same wavelength because the bus trip was particularly quiet and every traveler appeared lost in their own thoughts.
We came back to the hotel, happy at the sight of our familiar Aunty and man Friday, Sun (pronounced Seern). While some chose to rest and others decided to go food hunting, I quickly decided to get my activites done for the day, catching up on a delicious tau foo far with Dr. Yeoh followed by an Italian dinner. Till tomorrow, ciao bella!
Photos from various sources
The morning sunshine streaming in through my window woke me up with a stir, but it was the memory of our tour guide’s voice saying that we were to be “ready at 7.15am” that made me summon enough energy to get out of bed and hop into the shower. We were to assemble in the hotel lobby, and as soon as I got there I was greeted by the sight of my fellow travelers hunched over the lobby chairs, weary from seven nights of enjoyment and blog work.
After we had all huddled in the hotel lobby, we headed out towards a large boat that took us to Cai Rai, one of the largest floating markets on the shore of Can Tho City, which lies on the Mekong River. The markets hosts up to 900 small and large boats selling various types of fruit and vegetables. When we arrived at the market, it became clear to me that the floating market not only sold fruits and vegetables, but also sustained an entire floating lifestyle. The sight of children sleeping in hammocks and dogs guarding boats made it apparent that traders not only sold their produce on the river, but also lived on the boats they use for trade. The floating market of Cao Rai is therefore extremely unique, not only because it is a market on water, but because the traders essentially live their lives afloat. As soon as we arrived at the market we were transferred into a smaller boat that made mobility around the water much easier. We were given a tour of the entire market. I was amazed by the sight of hundreds of boats not only selling market goods, but also providing transport and even toilet facilities for tourists and locals. The traders were keen to flock their boats around our little tourist-filled vessel in an attempt to sell us their exotic fruits or (much needed) morning coffee. Personally though, the most amusing sight was that of a petrol station that seemed to be randomly floating on the water surrounding it. I had expected a floating market to be a series of small boats selling fruits and vegetables, but was amazed to realize that an entire community existed not only around the river, but also on it.
After observing the floating lifestyle, we headed to a rice farm to learn how rice noodles are made. But even after observing all the stages of the process, I am still quite confused about how rice transforms into noodle. After a long period of observing the noodle making process, some of us travelers were distracted by the sight of the animals around the rice farm. While one traveler received a dirty hug from a particularly friendly pig, another was amazed by the sight of a large cock standing proud in a small cage and yet another made friends with a fluffy and friendly puppy. It seemed that we were all becoming rather comfortable with the docile rural lifestyle, and were quite content to take a few minutes observing all the animals around the farm. The next tour activity took us to a rice factory where over 1000 kilograms of rice are produced every hour. However, the factory was so hot and humid, I could hardly concentrate on the information we were receiving from the tour guide. He informed us that Vietnam is the third largest exporter of rice in the world and that Southern Vietnam experiences three harvests a year, with each harvest lasting up to three months.
 |
| The machine used to make the noodles |
It was only 11:30am when we boarded our boat back to Can Tho City and were released for lunch. After a hearty Chinese meal, we set out to explore other parts of the city. Near our lunch restaurant was a beautiful Pagoda called the Chua Ong Temple, and it was one of the most intricate and beautifully designed temples I have ever seen. We then visited a large statue of Ho Chi Minh in the center of the city. I spent my final moments in the Delta city buying the renowned traditional straw hats that are worn by women in Vietnam.
 |
| The towering statue of Ho Chi Minh in Can Tho City |
The rest of the day was spent on the bus heading back to Saigon City. I spent most of the journey trying to figure out how eight days could have gone by so quickly, and I did not want to come to terms with the fact that we would soon be back in Malaysia. It seemed everyone else on the bus was on the same wavelength because the bus trip was particularly quiet and every traveler appeared lost in their own thoughts.
We came back to the hotel, happy at the sight of our familiar Aunty and man Friday, Sun (pronounced Seern). While some chose to rest and others decided to go food hunting, I quickly decided to get my activites done for the day, catching up on a delicious tau foo far with Dr. Yeoh followed by an Italian dinner. Till tomorrow, ciao bella!
MumbiMunene is pursuing an Undergraduate Degree in International Studies and Economics. She is in Malaysia as an exchange student from the Monash South Africa campus, and is keen to grab all opportunities to travel within and beyond Malaysia.
This is my first time i visit here. I found so many interesting stuff in your blog especially its discussion. From the tons of comments on your articles, I guess I am not the only one having all the enjoyment here keep up the good work damnoen saduak
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