It was another early day for us. We began before dawn with fruit and pastries on the top deck before migrating into covered longboats. The boats cruised around a floating market as the sun came out of low clouds on the horizon. The market was packed with large boats selling produce, advertising their wares by hanging their product from a pole on the bow. Smaller boats pulled up alongside to purchase watermelon, pineapple, and other goods. Women paddled even smaller boats between the larger vessels, selling breakfast noodles made on the spot.
After the floating market we pulled into the town of Chau Doc. It was an overwhelming experience starting with a ride on trishaws. Each person had their own trishaw, which is a bicycle hauling an elevated cart behind. While not the most comfortable form of transport, we had a really delightful ride through the bustling city streets. Cars, bicycles and motorbikes whizzed in every direction, narrowly avoiding hitting one another by fractions of inches. One of our younger guests traded places with his driver, peddling through the streets to uproarious laughter from the locals.
Once back to the curb we spread out into the local market and temple. The market was almost claustrophobic it was so busy in such tight quarters. Sellers lined narrow walkways, shouting out their wares to passersby who paused to eye their goods. Every conceivable type of fruit was for sale, vegetables of every size, shape, and color delighted photographers, fish still alive wriggled in large pans, plucked chickens hung by their feet, meat sizzled on grills, fish scales lined the street—a total sensory overload.
Once back to Jahan we enjoyed breakfast and Tai Chi, lounged around the decks, saw a group of storks circling over the ship, and had a fascinating talk from our cultural specialist David Brotherson on the fortification of Angkor Wat.
In the late afternoon we visited My An Hung, a small village along the banks of the river. We walked through a field of chili peppers and flowers (being grown for the upcoming holiday of Tet) before being invited into a home for tea and music. We also sampled a wide variety of fruit and corn while watching the local children and pet guinea pigs. After a short walk around the village the locals put on an incredible performance for us. Two boys dressed in a single dragon costume did an amazing job of moving, leaping, sniffing, scratching, standing, and walking to the accompaniment of a drum line. Next the speakers blared out American tunes and the singers among us tried their voices at karaoke. Things dissolved into a dance party with crew, guests, staff, and locals busting out the moves to American and Cambodian music. The local kids were delighted to have a handful of guests play soccer and volleyball with them and about a dozen children joined in the dance fray with their new foreign friends. The extravaganza ended with a bonfire and Vietnamese lanterns, heated by flame, being released to the heavens. Recap was followed by an excellent dinner and movie about Ho Chi Minh.
