Châu Ðốc, Viet Nam
10° 41' N 105° 7' E
May 12, 2008 11:02
Distance 98km

Choose another map, showing:


earlier Entry 190 of 298 later
You need to upgrade your Flash Player Click here to start downloading FlashPlayer!
Text written in: English

So Different From Cambodia

Chau Doc, Vietnam.  Monday, May 12th.

Had a leisurely morning, then we headed for the Mekong River, to take a water taxi to Chau Doc and the Mekong River delta. I sat in the front seat, but soon learned this was the wrong seat, as water sprayed from the open forward window.  Consequently, I went to the open back of the boat for the balance of the 4 hour ride.  

Seeing the countryside from the river was fascinating, especially once you crossed into Vietnam. Along the Cambodian portion of the river there was limited farming or activity, but as soon as you crossed into Vietnam there were floating houses, barges filled with sand, fishers and rice fields.  The transition was so clear and apparent that you reasonably wonder why the Cambodians were less ambitious and industrious.  This difference in determination was very obvious in Chau Doc: there was not the despair, hopelessness and dependency psyche here.  The people here seemed to have a take charge, where-there-is-a-will-there-is-a-way attitude.  Children said hello and smiled, but did not beg or look wanting. 

As the photos suggest, life here revolves around the river and defines the area.  Chau Doc (population of the area about 100,000) is the service centre for the region.  It was busy, pushy in a good way, bustling and wet, as it was drizzling.   It was organized chaos and bedlam. 

We got to our hotel, and then a few of us went on a motorcycle tour of the area, going to the top of a nearby hill to get a scenic view of the area.  All around, for as far as the eye could see, were rice fields and carefully planned canals to irrigate the area.  The lushness was overwhelming; this is a fertile and intensively farmed area.  Apparently, they can get up to three crops a year from the fields. Vietnam is the second largest exporter of rice in the world, and with the price of rice at record highs, there is prosperity in the air.  After the ride to the top of the hill, we visited a Buddhist temple.  It was very different from the Thai ones: for a start, no one took off their shoes.  It was crowded with many “Buddhas” and other statues, but they were positioned all over the place.  Also, there were figures with beards and swords.  Rather than having a Hindu influence, these temples had a Chinese feeling to them.  Finished off the evening on a floating restaurant.  The food was delicious and even cheaper than anywhere else I have eaten.  The meal cost 60,000 dong (or $4)!!

Photos / videos of "So Different From Cambodia":

View of the inside of the river boat. We moved quite quickly, easily 30 KMPH or better. The window in the front was now closed, which made the interior of the boat very warm. Life along the river. The houses are on stilts, as much to create draft and ventilation as for protection from the Mekong River, rising in the wet season or because of up river tides. Floating home on the river. Homes mixed with jungle along the river. Crossing the Mekong River. As the area is a delta and therefore not firm, it is difficult to make bridges, so there are numerous ferry crossings along the river. Barge carrying river silt. Not sure what they use it for, but they sure mine it a lot. Fishers (or fishermen). Some aspects of life do not change, other than they now have a diesel motor at the back of the boat. Everything and everyone in the area is connected to the river. Chau Doc, Vietnam. The nicer looking building is one of the finer hotels in the city, but we did not stay there. City meets river. This is the way they row a boat around here, but they have been doing it for hundreds of years, so they must know what they are doing. We took a motorcycle (or donor-cycle as the doctor called them) to the top of this hill for the following photos. The Mekong River delta. This is one of the most fertile and productive farming lands in the world. Most of what you see are rice fields. For a change I am not too hot. Canals, irrigation ditches, rice fields and mountains, for as far as the eye can see. Buddhist temple. Compared to the Thai temples, it looks and feels like a very different twist on Buddhism. It is smoky from the incense and candles and the Buddha statues are so different from what I have seen earlier. These have a Chinese Buddhist interpretation and perspective. These figures are totally different from the Thai statues; they look more violent and angry.
earlier Entry 190 of 298 later
You need to upgrade your Flash Player Click here to start downloading FlashPlayer!
[Error 2: Unknown: write failed: No space left on device (28) (Unknown:0)]