Another hazy start to the day on the Mekong and we are welcomed by a cool breeze as the sun rose peeking through the morning clouds. Our last full day aboard Jahan saw us approaching Binh Tanh Island whilst we did Tai Chi. The local community of Binh Tanh are skillful rattan mat weavers, a craft which is typically practiced by the women. As the local boats take us into the island we pass down a narrow channel with the now-familiar sites of floating houses and fish farms as well as a small ferry crossing where we disembark to explore the village. Next we visit the community hall which also serves as a local village shrine and is where agricultural and ancestral spirits are worshipped. Here we sit and chat with two village elders who talk about their life experiences and help us understand what life was like living through war and social upheaval.
The afternoon takes us to a vastly different setting as we cruise into the small city of Cai Be. On the way in we pass another floating market with fruit and vegetables being transhipped from producers to distributors. Cai Be district has more than a quarter million inhabitants and the river channels are bustling with activity, mostly merchants but with sampans of tour groups also in the mix. The spire of a Catholic church rising above the roof tops alludes to the country’s French colonial past. We alight the local boat to see another local craft industry, although this one is geared towards the sweet tooth – this family makes candies, snacks and whiskey out of coconuts and rice. We learn how juice is extracted from shredded coconut, then boiled down into a viscous fluid which is dried and cut into bit size candies. The lady on the rice paper hot plate makes it look deceptively easy, but we quickly realize there is a steep learning curve to her art. Rice kernels are also heated in a pan to make “pop rice.” We finish up with something a little stronger, a local whiskey made from fermented and distilled rice grains. Wow!
We finish off the day onboard Jahan for a final round of drinks as the sun goes down. The night is all the more fun as me meet the ship’s crew and bid them farewell.
