(Version française plus bas)
Location: Cai Bè
A WEEKEND IN THE MEKONG DELTA(3/3): THE FLOATING MARKET
4.00AM: The sky is still completely dark. On my way to the docks, I walk past two Vietnamese joggers. The streets of Cai Bé are quite busy already. Some mom and pop shops are already open.
4.45AM: I set foot on Phom’s small motor boat.
Phom is my new friend. I met her last night as I was trying to secure a boat ride to the floating market for toda. She got so excited when I asked her to take me on her boat! When I saw her this morning she was all smiles, telling it all to the men of her neighborhood!
6 AM: As soon as the sun rises, there’s more activity going on. The ones boats sell watermelons and bamboos to the others. It’s quite a small market, but it’s perfect. It looks like I’m the only tourist on that part of the river.
People selling bamboos at Cai Bè market.
Cai Bè in the early morning.
People selling watermelons at Cai Bè market.
* * * * * * *
A WEEKEND IN THE MEKONG DELTA (3/3): LE MARCHE FLOTTANT
Il est 4h00. Le ciel est encore d’un noir d’encre. En chemin vers les quais, je dépasse deux Vietnamiens qui font leur footing. Déjà, les rues de Cai Bè s’animent. Des petits commerces sont déjà ouverts.
4h45 Je monte à bord du petit bateau à moteur de Phom.
Phom est ma nouvelle copine. Je l’ai rencontrée hier soir alors que j’essayai de trouver un maître d’embarcation qui accepterait de me prendre à son bord ce matin dès l’aube. Elle était tout excitée à l’idée de m’avoir pour passagère. Quand je l’ai vue ce matin, elle était tout sourires et en train de tout raconter aux messieurs du voisinage.
Dès que le soleil se lève, le bras de la rivière s’anime. Les bateaux des uns vendent bambous et pastèques aux bateaux des autre. Le marché est assez petit, mais c’est parfait. Il semble que je sois la seule touriste sur l’eau
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Erratum: Photo #2, people are not selling bamboos but sugar cane.
Hey Laurene,
Question for you. Are the floating market just a collection of boats that meet in the rivers every day, or a more permanent set of boat houses, etc? Sorry if this seems like a silly question. Great pictures by the way!
Hi Jesse,
That’s a good question, and I don’t have the exact answer. Cai Bè is quite a small floating market compared to others (to the one in Can Tho for instance).
In Cai Bè, it seemed to me that buyers were locals who had a small boat that they only used to buy fruits and vegetables from sellers. Sellers, on the other hand, had bigger boats. They often steer their boats overnight to go to different locations in the delta. Thus, I’d assume they live on their boats. I’m not sure how it looks like inside- whether it is an actual house on a boat . In town, locals often sleep in a hammock or on some kind of palliasse, so boat people might do the same.
In Cai Bè however, some boats looked like they were parked along the river banks and stayed in the same spot all day long. Some people might be living on those.
la seule touriste pas sur , le seule lauriquet , affirmatif . Papa
we miss you lauriquet
geo and lulu, from Paris