The Biggest Celebration in Asia!

Day 3: Can Tho

 

Holiday time is family time.

For Vietnamese people the Tet Nguyen Dan holiday is very important because it marks the beginning of the traditional lunar holiday. It is commonly called Tet or Vietnamese Lunar New Year. It often shares the date of the Chinese New Year, but not always. This is the only time of the year when the whole country is resting and relaxing. As a result, we saw many people making preparations during our first few days here.

 

It is also a time for gathering together with family and friends to enjoy traditional cuisine. The Tet holiday began on Monday, February 8th this year. The government offices were closed from the end of the day on February 5th until February 14th. Leave it to us to unknowingly book a trip to Southeast Asia during one of the biggest holidays!

 

Typical houses built on stilts to stay dry in high tide.

That explains the crowds at the airport. And unfortunately, our flight back to Australia is on the 14th so we will be with masses returning home after the holiday! The positive is that we get to experience this important event, even though it will be a busy time.

 

 

 



The river is their life blood.



Tet, Lunar New Year is the grandest and most important festival for the Vietnamese. It is similar to the celebration of Christmas in the Christian world. Having more than 4,000 years of history and dating back to the Shang Dynasty (17th-11th century BC), the Lunar New Year is full of rich and colorful activities and hope, with the arrival of spring and flowers blooming.

 

The yellow apricot blossom is most special and special here. Yellow was the King's color and no one else was allowed to use or wear it. Yellow flowers are all over the city and are represented in the street decorations.

 

 

People from different regions and ethnics groups (of which there are 58) celebrate in their own unique ways such as visiting friends, going to pagodas to pray for prosperity, good health and happiness for the New Year, sharing special meals, etc. it is customary to give out red envelopes (known as li xi) containing a written wish or money during Tet. The li xi are believed to bring luck not only to the person receiving it but also to those giving the envelope.

 

It is also tradition to welcome guests with tea and sweet treats, such as sugared Frits which are supposed to sweeten one's upcoming year. Flamboyant Lion Dances can be seen in the streets or a troupe might be invited to perform at private homes to bring luck, prosperity and happiness. These dances are performed on the first day of the Lunar New Year.

 

 

Another bit of information: the lotus flower is the national flower of Vietnam. A truly sustainable plant, all parts of the lotus can be somehow used or consumed. Since their kitchens do not usually stock aluminum foil or baggies, the lotus flower leaves are used to wrap food for cooking or saving. The flower and its symbol are seen many places as decoration.

 

 

Yellow flowers are for sale everywhere - just like
Christmas trees.

On our third day of cruising, we boarded a sampan for an early cruise through the colorful Cai Rang floating market near Can Tho. Vendors start hawking their wares at dawn; smaller boat come to buy for local village markets.

 

 



Small business owner selling her produce.

The floating market is like a distribution center for the area. It is open every day except

holidays. We wove between vendor boats, shoppers and tour boats for several miles along the river. People were literally climbing over our sampan to get to the vendor’s boat to make a purchase.

 

First he cut the skin off. Then removed
the eyes leaving a lovely spiral pattern.

Since it was the Tet holiday (Vietnam’s version of the Chinese New Year), it was very busy. You could buy every kind of fruit and vegetable, rice, fish, coconut drinks, etc. We watched them trim fresh pineapples with a huge knife and learned how to easily remove all of the “eyes” that are a pain to dig out!

And we each had a pineapple pop on the stalk!

 

 

 

Watermelon is a stable food here.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The next stop was at an instant rice noodle factory. Now you think factory and your mind’s eyes sees stainless steel work spaces, mixing machines and drying ovens, people in white coats with their hair covered, a sanitary environment, etc. NOT! This “factory” is an open-air building where none of the above is present.

















In one area a rice slurry is made, then transported to another are where it is spread on the hot surface heated by open fire. They used to use rice husk as fuel, but this enterprising family business found a way to get fabric scraps from a clothing manufacturer for free. So the fires are now burning fabric and they do not have to buy rice husks.


Here they burn fabric scraps in the ovens.

After the noodle “crepe” is cooked, it is moved to woven mats and set in the sun to dry. Yup! Just sitting in the open air. Then the rounds are run through a very old noodle cutter and scooped by hand into one kilogram bags for sale. And off to market they go! I like rice noodles since they are gluten-free, but now I wonder how the ones I buy are really produced. They don’t have the same appeal as they once did!



Like lifting a crepe off the pan - but much larger!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Drying the rice sheets.

Preparing to cut and bag the noodles.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Weighed and bagged for market. No labeling!




Cutting the noodles with help.



Rice noodles are an integral part of their diet.

Then it was back to the boat for lunch and cool air. We were liking these midday breaks for lunch and a little rest. It could become a habit!

Anchors Aweigh! We Are Off to See Vietnam

First Stop: Ben Tre, Vietnam  

The Mekong Princess

After an overnight sail from Ho Chi Minh to Ben Tre, we boarded a sampan for a tour of the area. We quickly understood that the river is the life of the community and basic means of transportation here. After a short tour, it was back to the boat for lunch and an afternoon sail to Tam Binh. The tours are nicely planned for early mornings and late afternoons so we can be in the air-conditioning during the hottest part of the day with time for a rest.

 

We went ashore in sampans. In some areas, the same one
stayed with us and was towed behind the boat so it would
be there for the morning excursions. Fun way to travel!

As the Mekong River enters Vietnam from Cambodia, it splits into two channels: Tien Giang (Upper River) and Hau Giang (Lower River). The river continues to divide as it traverses through the delta region which is a fertile area of almost 50,000 square kilometers. By the time it reaches the South China Sea, nine branches appear, although two have now silted up over time. This is why the Mekong River is called the River of Nine Dragons.

We also traveled their version of the canoe. It was a
little unsteady at times, but very peaceful. Mostly
women doing the paddling of these vessels.

The Mekong Delta region is home to a fifth of the population and provides half of the rice for the whole of Vietnam. The area provides coconuts, sugarcane, fruits and fish.

On our trip through the creeks, I saw a strange fruit that looks like a pinecone hanging on the water palms. Apparently it is edible, but very different from regular coconut palm fruits. And there are many kinds of birds inhabit the area as well. It was very pleasant to hear them sing.

At Ben Tre, we took the sampan up into the mangrove-lined channels to visit the home of a local coconut candy maker. From here, we boarded horse carts for a trip to another channel where we climbed into small two seater boats, most paddled by older women.

The community had prepared some tea and fruit for us.

The narrow creeks were lined with Nipa palms, which are a native species of palm considered to be the only one of its kind to have adapted to the mangrove habitat. It was so peaceful and cool as we were quietly moved through the creeks.




The entertainment. Interesting.

We were entertained by some local musicians with traditional Vietnamese singing and treated to tea and fresh fruits of the area. I must say it takes a special ear to appreciate the tones used. The stories as translated were lovely and the instruments were pleasant sounds, but the vocals were challenging to the Western ears. Many of the people throughout the country, especially women, spoke in very high-pitched tones.

The local lifestyle seems primitive to our Western ways, but they are all thriving and have created a sustainable way of life. We learned early on that nothing is wasted! They eat everything and use everything.

Typical restroom for tourists.

At the candy factory, the coconuts are cracked open and the flesh removed and prepared. After the coconut candy is cooked over rice husk fires, the ashes are returned to the rice paddies to help replenish the soil. The coconut shells are made into bowls - some brightly painted. You find these things in a Pier One or similar store.

Like many of the countries we have visited, the people have learned over time and continue to practice: waste not, want not! Nearly everyone does a better job of reusing or recycling. Since they don't have access to plastic bags, bottles, etc., they are far ahead of us in this environmental area!

They make bricks from the red clay so many of the houses
are made of brick with metal roofs.

The afternoon took us through parts of the Mekong Delta barely touched by tourism. Even though we saw a number of other river cruise boats in Saigon, we did not see them until we were near larger cities as our boat was off the beaten track.

 

 

 

We passed many golden structures.
Every home and temple has a front gate.

 

 

 

AND there are golden Buddhas everywhere!



Making coconut candy for the market.



Making rice wrappers for spring rolls, etc.

We also visited a family who was making rice wrappers (or whatever they call them). From the rice slurry, they cook it on what looked like a huge crepe pan. Then it is moved to the woven drying racks and placed in the sun to dry. There were different flavorings in some which they sold as snack food. When broken up, they looked like corn chips.




Then they dry in the sun. No FDA here!





 

Ready for the horse-drawn cart ride.

At Tam Binh, our destination for the afternoon was the Toa Sen pagoda, an ancient Khmer pagoda dating back to the 4^th century AD. In 1999, it was recognized by UNESCO as one of the most important Hindu temple complexes in Southeast Asia. This temple is comparable to Borobudur, Angkor Wat or Bagan, temples in Cambodia. To get there, we took horse carts. Interesting mode of transportation!



The monks were preparing for the Tet holiday when the community will come to the temple and have a day of feasting and games. They created a huge maze of bamboo poles and string as one of the activities. Some of our fellow travelers tried to find their way through it. Even though you could see all of the alleyways (unlike in our corn mazes), it was still challenging to find a way out.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 




Looking back at the entry gate.
 

Young monks at work preparing for Tet.

 

 

 

 




 

 

 

 



Interesting flower growing on the tree.

  

What a cute one visiting the pagoda.

 

 

 

 













These children are so cute!

Our final stop for the day was in a neighborhood where the locals make products from water hyacinth. We saw many bunches of branches floating in the Mekong River and wondered what it was. It is the fast growing, free-floating plant that produces a pretty flower. The vine is used to make slippers, furniture, baskets, purses and serving trays.

 


The women and children weave the baskets and other items.
They get pennies for them and you buy them in a store for
more money than they can make in a month!

We visited the home of one family of weavers to see how they use the water hyacinth vine to make these products for sale. They kindly gave a tour of their home and backyard where they keep their pigs.



Pigs on the patio! Cash crop.

Pigs ruled in Tonga and Fiji, even Vanuatu. This is the first time we have seen pigs kept next to the house in pens. This family raises pigs to sell and for their own food.

 

Typical kitchen cooking area.

They  had a large kitchen. Bigger than most, but a lot
of people live in this home.

Thinh explained the meaning of the little
temples in each front yard near the gate.

SO! What do you think of my country?