Writes of Passage

Phu Tho, Vietnam

Day 6: We sailed 37 miles (60km) from Tan Chau to Phu Tan-Long Xuyen.

After breakfast, we visit Phu Tho village, where many residents produce terra cotta / claypots.

Per wiki: Phú Thọ is a province in northern Vietnam. Its capital is Việt Trì, which is 80 km (50 mi) from Hanoi and 50 kilometres (31 mi) from Nội Bài International Airport. The province covers an area of 3,534.56 km²(1,364.70 sq mi) and, as of 2023, it had a population of 1,530,800.

Mekong delta has 20 million people, per guide. Wiki has it at 17,432,120 [2022] @ 15,800 mile², $36.1 billion in 2021. China’s Pearl River Delta 珠江三角洲 has 86 million people [2020] @ 21,500 mile², $1.9 trillion).

As we walk around the narrow paths, all the people are warm and friendly, willing to be photographed, even they don’t know where US and or Canada is, per the guide.

A women with a basket, walks pass our, heating to the water, to wash

It’s common that people start drinking at 9am. An elder man in blue shirt, freshly drunk, grabs Buffalo as they’re dear friends and haven’t seen each other for a while. He insists that our tour manager take a cigarette from him. When that failed, he then forces on to the local guide. He tells his story, that his wife has left him.

“Just now?” I asked.

“No, long time ago.” Buffalo replied.

The claypots, some call them terra cotta, are made with 80% soil (high in PH) and 20% sand.

They use rice husk to burn 700 pcs at a time in brick kiln, to red color
Rice straw makes fire stronger.

Middle men’s boats can take up to 500 to 600 final products.

… the outing

At sunset, we enjoyed lion dance on the top deck, while anchored at Tan Chau, Vietnam.

The boys are good. One younger one is only 7. For some reason, this is the first lion dance that I watched from beginning to end. I know what lion dance is and watched fragment of it from time to time. Here, I’m the captive audience.

… me dance the lion

… and here is more

On the Mekong river @ Tan Chau, Vietnam

… more pix n video here

Tour said sampan but it’s one big boat for our entire group, and life jacket is required.

We’re between the banks of Hong Ngu to the north and Tan Chao to the south.

The locals call Mekong river Sông Cửu Long, which translates to “Nine Dragons River”. It’s muddy, with silt / mud. The local tour guide jokes, “you pay to have a mud bath elsewhere but here it’s free.” His English is pretty good but did apology to his English… I don’t know if he’s faking it, or just Asian modesty.

Many boats have eyes … just like the Chinese would…

The route is pretty busy. Some boats carry river sand – Vietnam has stopped letting Singapore to take it; keeping it for themselves to use. To expand their land. Some carry fish, supplies, etc.

They produce basa, snapper, red tilapia and anchovy. “5 tiger prawns is a kilo,” the tour guide said.

The fishermen have their homes on the land behind.