We anchored in the middle of the river and I think most had a restful night. We were glad today's BUS was BOAT!
The morning flitted by so fast it was over before we knew it. First was ride on a tri-shaw, a very nice way to travel, like a king here. Ama had to muster all the available tri-shaw drivers in the region to take about 120 people on two 15 minute drives.
It would appear that the folks living here are reasonably happy. At least they are friendly: strangers wave and say hello! The younger people seem to be a bit more forthcoming in my opinion.
We visited a silk factory. An honest to goodness functioning silk factory with machine driven looms. It was fascinating and sounded very much like a printing factory with all the looms working, each with hundreds of moving parts whipping around, all made of wood.
Later we visited another full scale factory making rattan mats. What a labour oriented product, made with intricate designs, manned by young women sitting on a mat feeding in pre-died and cut to length coloured reeds. These are what the locals roll out and sleep on, on top of a very large platform made of split bamboo canes. This is what the country-folk sleep on, I am sure in the city they may have more modern bedding arrangements.
This morning in four hours I took 180 pictures, even for me this must be a new record. My mind goes a million miles an hour on such a morning as this, trying to absorb what we are seeing and put in perspective this country, Vietnam, and our recent similar visits in Cambodia. I think Vietnam wins for industriousness and maybe cleanliness as well. Having said that, the garbage and litter is a National Issue here as well.
We had an interesting run up a meandering narrow inlet for a few miles on the tour. The riverbank and beached craft of all kinds gave me the shivers. The mud looks absolutely suffocating and filthy, yet we saw men standing in it up to their waists, fixing their boats etc. We were advised that giant prawns were taken from the waters and exported. Gasp! Methinks I will never eat a dish of Tiger Prawns the rest of my life. But they look so inviting on a china crystal bowl with ice and red sauce, before your main course arrives don't they!
After we arrived back on the ship/boat/floating palace, we hoisted anchor and headed downstream and watched the every-changing scenes flitting by our windows where I could snap another photo every minute or two. I am so sorry that I cannot portray the journey in a better way than some still photos for you.
** . ** . **
What a journey we have had the last two weeks, [that seems like a month!]
It has been like something out of a corny adventure story of some river boat in the 1930s in a foreign land when the world was different place.
Our boats await us!
The 'Blue Family', people we have been travelling with the whole time,
27 of us. A good group.
First stop, then to the rick-shaws
Grow what you can, wherever you live.
They own the garden.
I haven't the faintest...
Taken along the rick-shaw run.
Pedlar on the left, unloader in the middle and a tourist in the darn thing.
The middle man does not look happy does he?
A demo of a silk loom.
Fascinating and ingenious.
This blew me away. All those machines are running a million miles an
hour with one minder!!!
Happy young family.
This women sits there and feeds the reeds in one at a time, in the right sequence.
Running a mile a minute too.
Same here.
Loads of reeds come in, each bundle weighs 70 kilos.
She is sewing the banding on the edges of a woven mat.
The end use, I know not.
Looks like a scene from 200 years ago, or more. In a village.
Local tourist.
The delta was virtually lined with these boats that looked like abandoned hulks but they are working boats.
Meanwhile, us filthy-rich tourists drift by to see how the peasants live.
[That is how some of us felt at least.]
Home: Be it ever so humble!
Don't you dare slip off and fall in the mud honey.
Up we climb.
A penny for your thoughts.
No comment.
No comment.
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A ferry passed behind us, I waved and the man in blue by the truck smiled and waved back. I wonder his thoughts.
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