Cambodia/Vietnam Border

Miaken here...

One of the final stops in Vietnam was at a small town on the way to the Cambodian border. The name of that town, at the moment, escapes me, but the memory of the city's floating market is still alive and well. We woke early in the morning and hit up the Mekong riverbank to catch a boat. Our minibus driver, Huang, joined us, and got us half price fare. Thanks Huanger.

After a few minutes heading upriver, we approached a mass of boats floating in the river, selling goods from each. Some sold fruit, some fish, but my favorite was the coffee boat. Utilizing a tiny stove and simple, metal coffee pot, a small Vietnamese woman created one of the most delicious coffee concoctions on the planet, which was by far the best coffee drink I've ever had. The Jack Mormon in me took over that morning, and I gulped one down with the rest of the gang.

After that delicious treat, we hopped on a pineapple boat, where a man artistically carved and sectioned the fruit for us. It was like eating a pineapple popsicle, as I liked to call it. It was another beautiful realization that Vietnam has the best fruit in the world, and we were lucky enough to partake.

Next we hopped off the boat and onto the banks to visit a local garden, where they kept snakes, turtles, fish and crocs in cages for eating. Even the little kids were walking around holding dead snakes, ready to bake up a little snake surprise. Ew.

As another side trip, we stopped at the local rice factory on the river banks. Its incredible how much rice they pump outta that place. The highlight for me, however, was seeing the massive amounts of huge spiderwebs hanging just above the machinery. Based on what I saw, I'm guessing that rice from that factory is probably also a good source of protein, not just carbs. Mmm...bugs.

To finish up, we cruised some local tributaries and saw the way locals on the riverbanks live. It was a really cool glimpse at a unique niche of Vietnamese culture. The lush vegetation and the friendly smiles from everyone on boats and banks made us all happy. It's so cool to see such different ways of living; it makes me appreciate what we have, but its also reminded me that more simplistic lifestyles can bring just as much happiness as the complex ones we live. I was so impressed with the Vietnamese people--you won't find more loving, happy people anywhere on Earth, and our last taste of their warmth on the Mekong will always be a happy memory for us, I think.