Floating markets and the Mekong Delta

Hello again from the Mekong delta!

Yesterday we saw the Cai Rang floating market, the largest one in the delta. I think we were a little late to see the best of market, as we didn't get out very early due to a rain storm. Not knowing where we were going, like usual, we eventually rode around until we found somebody to take us out in a little wooden boat to the market. The boat looked like it should have sunk long ago, but it stayed afloat for at least one more trip. The market was an interesting place: each vendor or family had a boat heaping with their product to sell, mostly things like pineapple, dragon fruit, or cabbage. The market was basically a location in the river where boats were putting around, buyers on their boats tying up to a vendor's boat to make a purchase. The boats are almost all big motor boats (not the quiet rowboat or canoe kind of place I was picturing) that are usually loaded down with waaaay too much stuff to the point where they look like they're about to sink. River water here is of course just filthy, but that doesn't stop the locals from taking a dip every once in a while. Life really happens on the water here- there are several main branches of the Mekong, where ferries connect the major roads and boats provide transporation for people and goods. Apart from the mekong, canals go absolutely everywhere. It seems like next to every major road is a canal, and they cut straight through all the cities.

The cities- they're crazy. Traffic is just nuts. Motorcycles dominate the traffic scene, so lanes basically don't matter, and people are careless when making turns. One thing that's really annoying is the "4-lane" highway- you have the main traffic with people driving on the right like normal, but then people think it's ok to ride in the opposite direction if you're to the far right, which is also the bicycle lane. So it's kind of like riding up a one way street sometimes with people coming at you. You have to be alert in your riding all the time, but I think we're starting to get used to it.

Cities here are loud and busy, but everyone seems to take some time out of their day for coffee. They love it. There seems to be a big cafe scene in all of these places- people any time of the day just hanging out drinking iced coffee with their friends or family. The cafes are usually outdoors but covered, with seats for a ton of people, maybe twice the size of a normal restaurant. It's quite a scene, especially after work. The actual seats are always plastic deck style chairs- but they're the size of chairs used by probably 3rd graders in the US!

As for the biking, we've been doing a little at a time lately, but I think our total is up to 1581 miles now, and less than 100 to go till we make it to Saigon, which we're pretty stoked about.

take care all,

Evan