|
Vietnam has two big deltas, the Red River delta in the North, and
the one we talk about here is Mekong in the
South, this Mekong delta region is formed by the
various tributaries of the mighty Mekong River
which begins its journey to the sea in Tibet and
winds its way for 4500 km through China, Burma,
Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and Southern Vietnam.
The vietnamese name for the Mekong is Cuu Long
which means "nine dragons" and this is
represented by the nine exit points of the
Mekong River as it flows into the sea. The land
of the Mekong Delta is renowned for its
richness. Known as Vietnam's breadbasket, it
produces enough rice to feed the entire country
with a sizeable surplus leftover. Take a sampan
ride that meanders through small villages and
experience the simple lives of the Mekong
people.
Being the capital of the Mekong delta Vietnam, Can Tho is a
thriving metropolis with huge streets, little
action and loads of mosquitoes. Although Can Tho
has its own market by the riverside, where you
can get excellent ice-cream, the principal
attraction would have to be the nearby floating
markets. Being rather industrious, the centre of
Can Tho is quite busy and noisy with motorised
cyclos roaring up and down the streets combined
with throngs of people going about their lives.
The riverside can have its quiet moments, but
Can Tho is also a burgeoning are a number of
pagodas worth visiting, and for the trivia fans,
Can Tho is the home to much of Vietnam’s fish
sauce.
Cai Rang floating market is situated about 8 km from Can Tho by
road or a 20 km loop by boat. This market is
quite nice and sells a variety of fruit and
vegetables and operates from 5 am to 11 am,
though the markets are better the earlier you
can get there. A cyclo from Can Tho will take
about 15 minutes to get to Cai Rang Market.
Another market, Phung Hiep market, is 31 km from
Can Tho. This is the snake market, selling a
plethora of living, wriggling and often
poisonous snakes. Pythons and Cobras are sold
here by people from the countryside who have
caught them by hand, whilst others have come to
purchase snakes for restaurants, medicinal
reasons or personal consumption. This market is
open from 5 am to 5 pm. If travelling by boat,
you can add a dimension to your day by stopping
and visiting some of the fruit gardens, which
sell pineapple, rambutan and papaya amongst many
other fruits.. |
