On the streets of Ho Chi Minh City and for that matter most of Vietnams towns and cities, there is a constant stream of food vendors offering their goods up and down most busy streets, however if are living on the Mekong river gone are the street vendors replaced by river vendors that provide a valuable service to those living on the banks of the river.
Below are a few of the photos I took on a single day just after Tet this year, on the river that passes in front of my in-laws house in Vĩnh Long.
By far the most common river food vendors that traverse past my in-laws house are the Watermelon vendors and it’s not easy to miss out on your daily dose of it with the vendor singing out dưa hấu, dưa hấu (Watermelon, Watermelon) as they paddle or motor up the river.
The dưa hấu vendor is normally followed by the Sương Sáo sweet drink vendor, Sương Sáo is a mixture of grass jelly, shaved ice, evaporated milk with the addition of a red raspberry syrup/cordial.
The least common vendor on the day was what the vendor called xây cốm óng, and they weren’t in the true sense of the word selling food but in fact providing a service, as we gave them some rice and packet noodles which they smashed up and put it into their machine. The result was a long crispy savoury rice snack, if you are from Australia the closest thing I can compare it to is a very long burger ring or Cheezels without the burger or cheese flavour, for my Americans it like Puffy Cheetos.
You also see vendors going up and down the river that are like a floating greengrocer selling a large variety of fresh fruit, vegetables and fish/meat, but unfortunately on this day I was unable to get any on camera.
It’s also interesting to point out that it’s not just food sellers that float up and down the Mekong trying to make a living it is fairly common to see building products being sold which includes bricks and sand, you also see the occasional bulldozer being ferried up and down the river.
About Ben Hoffman
Ben nice article and great photography, I love your work!
I am planning my second trip to Vietnam to visit some of the popular places my wife and I missed on the first trip, the Mekong area is on the cards for this second trip, with Vinh Long, Can Tho & Ben Tre.
Since your wife seems to be from this area you must know a lot about the area, so could you recommend the must see places/attractions and also how long we dedicate to the Mekong area?
Thanks Federic I am very happy to hear that
You are correct I have a lot of knowledge of the Mekong area.
In either Vinh Long or Ben Tre make sure you book your self on a Mekong river tour that includes an island visit. If you go around this time of year there will be lots to tropical fruit to sample.
For Ben Tre also ensure you and your wife visit the floating markets, also make sure you get there fairly early in the morning as the last time I was there several years ago it finished up fairly early in the day before it started getting too hot.
If you can do a home stay and added to that try and get along to a local wedding, I am lucky as I spent a bit of time in Vinh Long staying at my in-laws house and when I am there I get invited to several weddings a week. They really know how to celebrate a wedding in the country side, and as far as the mekong goes it a nice peaceful break from the hustle and bustle of Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC)
Can Tho is another one of my fave cities in Vietnam, compared to Vinh Long it reminds me of a mini Saigon. The town/city has a vibrance to that I love. Again floating market (Cai Rang) and and Island (Phu Sa Island – Free boat ride to the island, dont get ripped off paying an un-offical boat wanting to charge to take you there) visit. There are a great number of nice restaurants and cafes in Can Tho compared to Vinh Long.
Also on the list for Can Tho should be the Can Tho Night market, enjoy the local food and fruit and just genraly hang out and explore the city.
The city of Can Tho has been developing a long at a frantic pace in the last 10 years (like most other towns and cities in Vietnam) but since the Japanese funded/built bridge was finished development has accelerated.