WITH A population of 1.3 million, Can Tho is three times bigger than any other city in Vietnam’s Mekong Delta. On the Hua River, its central location makes it a trading hub, as well as a cross-roads: Saigon to the north, Cambodia to the west, east to the South China Sea, or south-west to the Gulf Of Thailand.
Like other delta towns, visiting Can Tho is mostly about the markets, floating or fixed, as well as checking out the surrounding countryside.
150km and a ferry crossing away from Saigon is Can Tho.
Friednly market city.
1.3 million people call this Hua River city home.
A number of smaller distributories and canals are patched across the city, making for pleasant exploring.
The waterways are central to Can Tho's economy and daily life.
The comings and goings of all manner of craft also the focus of tourist interest.
Plenty of trading takes place on the water. Hipsters would call this B2B commerce probably.
The dock and the attached market are the typically raucous affair you'd expect.
The rivers provide an abundance of seafood.
The fertile lands produce plenty of fresh produce.
No shortage of ducks either.
Plenty of that fresh food ends up being served on the footpaths of Can Tho.
Besides the boats and markets, the goings on on the streets and laneways is the attraction.
This quirky stairway lined with bullets grabbed my attention at an unknown temple.
A new temple gets some detail.
Once a feature of every city, a scribe types forms and documents outside a government office.
Great thing about Vietnam is that you are never far from a Mr Fixit.
Candidate for world's happiest ditch digger.
The classic Vietnamese ao dai, pronounced "ao yai" by southerners, who mock the northern "ao zai."
Imagine some of this shit this fella has seen in his life!
There is plenty of interesting life happening on the journey into Can Tho, too.
Beyond Can Tho, traffic dies off considerably and the driving is more relaxed.
This is the main highway. Single lane in each direction, undivided. Harvest laid out to dry on one lane, no shoulders.....
Rice threshed by the side of the road.
Cottage industries such as incense making all conducted within too close of trucks and buses.
And if all that isn't enough, stop by the tip and watch the garbage pickers at work.
Getting there was interesting and educational, but. by no means half the fun. Can Tho's water traffic does bring the heart rate back down though.