Another early start for our group today as we awoke just before 6:00 a.m. This was by necessity to ensure Jahan could navigate some relatively shallow channels later in the day – a reminder that life at sea often works around the daily rhythm of the tides. After a light snack to see us through the morning we board the local sampans and cruise into town.
Before we arrive at the dock we pass through the local floating market. The larger boats have brought in fresh produce from the surrounding countryside to distribute to the markets in town. Each of these boats has erected a bamboo pole onto which they have tied a sample of their produce to indicate what they have to sell. Sales and marketing in rural Vietnam is simple yet effective. The larger boats offload their goods to the smaller ones which ferry it into town. After departing the floating market we too proceed to one of the small docks of Chau Doc.
Back on terra firma we experience another mode of pedal-powered transport in Vietnamese-style cyclos. The cyclos in Chau Doc are different to the reverse-tricycles we rode in Phnom Penh in that they consist of a regular bicycle towing a small trailer. We take a quick tour around town which is buzzing with activity early in the morning and after we return to the rendezvous point we have about half an hour to explore the town. The fresh produce markets of Chau Doc are similar to those in Cambodia as most of the vendors do not operate in fixed premises. Rather, each morning they unpack their tables, mats and baskets from the shopfronts to display their goods. During the day the street is effectively closed and only in the evening, when the temporary stalls are packed up again, is the road open to traffic. The variety of fruits and vegetables available is astounding, with numerous shapes and colours unfamiliar to our western diets. While the larger fish are kept alive until sold, the cuts of meat are kept in the open and unrefrigerated as they are normally sold by the end of each day.
Some of us take the opportunity to explore the local town ancestor shrine, right next to our rendezvous point. It stands out in stark contrast to the temples we have seen in Cambodia because the statues, inscriptions and decoration are heavily influenced by Chinese culture. Once we finish exploring the Chau Doc markets we get back on the sampans and make a brief stop at one of the hundreds of floating fish farms along the river. This form of aquaculture is certainly an assault on the senses as the salty fish smell of the fish food is thick in the air. Once we get back to Jahan breakfast is served as we raise anchor and continue down the river.
We spend a couple of hours relaxing as we cruise down the Bassac before the ship navigates through the smaller channels back to the Mekong. After lunch I presented my research about the modification and reuse of Angkor Wat as a fortress. At 4:00 p.m. we disembark the Jahan which is now docked at My An Hung. This is a small rural village which grows various crops, including corn, bananas and chillis. The village infrastructure is very basic – a narrow canal which runs through it is traversed by a “monkey bridge,” a rickety wood and bamboo construction which would never satisfy western building standards. During our visit we get to sample a wide variety of fresh fruits which have been prepared, after which we hear a traditional Vietnamese duet played by our hosts. The villagers of My An Hung have also prepared a special show for us, the “Unicorn dance,” with several characters dancing around energetically while accompanied by the pulsing music of drums and cymbals. Following the performance, the bar is once again open with cocktails, beers and canapés.
