Can Tho, Vietnam

Floating Market

Can Tho, Vietnam 

Fancy waking up before sunrise?  Didn't think so.  I'm not much of a morning person either.  However, one of my favorite wake up at the crack of dawn moments was to do a tour of the floating markets in Vietnam on the Mekong Delta.  It was still dark out when I got into a teeny tiny row boat just before dawn, still half asleep of course.  Our guide took my friend and I on a private tour.  Shortly after he began to paddle away from the shore, the sun began to rise as we made our way into what would become one of the most unique traffic jams I had ever experienced (and I'm from New York).  Small row boats came into vision filled with fresh fruits and vegetables and roosters too!  As we rowed by the other boats we eventually and inevitably got stuck in the morning rush hour traffic jam...on the water.  Nevertheless, it was the most enjoyable traffic jam I've been in (for one thing I wasn't the driver, no foot riding the clutch, no need to pay attention to the constant stop and go, stop and go, beep beep beep).  Just sitting in a boat, on the water, surrounded by a whole new world that gave a new meaning to rush hour.  Our tour guide gave us samples of fresh mango and other fruits.  We got a fresh Vietnamese coffee from another boat as we rowed by.  Though it took a while to get out of the traffic jam, it was still one of the best early mornings I've had.  Here's one shot of a woman rowing her boat (pre-traffic jam).