Revision of an earlier post
The Mekong River delta covers a large portion of southwestern Vietnam from the Cambodian border to the South China Sea.
Daily life revolves around the Mekong and many villages are accessible only by water. People live on or over the river and their days revolve around growing, buying, or selling rice, fruits, and vegetables, or fish.
Generations of families are born, live and die on the Mekong’s waters. Some in boats and many in little shacks set on spindly pilings.
“Life is like that.” papa turned once again to the Mekong. “Everything is connected, and sometimes we, like little fishes, are swept up in these big and powerful currents. Carried far from home…”
___Author: Vaddey Ratner
“No matter the border, the Mekong has been an indiscriminate giver and taker of life in Southeast Asia for thousands of years. It’s a paradox like civilization’s other great rivers—be it the Nile, Indus, Euphrates, Ganges or China’s Sorrow the Huang He—for without its water’s life is a daily struggle for survival; yet with its waters life is a daily bet that natural disasters and diseases will visit someone else’s village because it’s not if, but when it’s going to happen that’s the relevant question.”
___ Tucker Elliot,The Rainy Season
Click here for more Vietnam posts. And thank you.
PedroL
17 May 2020Amazing Ron, it’s just like a documentary 🙂 stay safe and greetings from Portugal, PedroL
Ron Mayhew
18 May 2020Thank you so much, Pedro. Be safe as well.
PedroL
18 May 2020You’re welcome 🙂 PedroL
Monkey's Tale
17 May 2020Great pictures. We visited the Can Tho market on the Mekong a couple of years ago. Your pictures took me right back there.
Ron Mayhew
18 May 2020Thanks! I’m pleased you liked the post.
Alison and Don
17 May 2020What splendid photos you got! I remember being there – at the Cai Rang floating market, at various spindly villages on the water – such a completely different way of life, that to them is completely normal.
Alison
Ron Mayhew
18 May 2020Thanks, Alison. Yes, but what strikes me is that everyone seems so happy.
Alison and Don
18 May 2020Yes! I found that too.
maristravels
18 May 2020Happy memories for me, too. Lovely images and it was great to see them.
Ron Mayhew
18 May 2020Happy memories – something we can use more of about now. Thanks much.
Oh, the Places We See
19 May 2020Fabulous pictures of life on the Mekong, a place that fascinated me for its authenticity and reminder that life can be defined in many places in different ways. We loved our visit there and treasure our memories and photos. Thanks, too, for the quote by Tucker Elliott. Excellent!
Ron Mayhew
19 May 2020Thanks! You said it well. Life along the Mekong is real and those living there seems to embrace and even enjoy it.
Oh, the Places We See
19 May 2020Part if that is the fact that it’s the only life they know. The other part is that family units seem strong. Or that was my impression.
Ron Mayhew
19 May 2020Agreed. And the dads seem more engaged in the family than in many cultures.
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