Boat Tour On The Mekong River In Can Tho, Vietnam

Can Tho, Vietnam is an even busier tourist spot (mostly package Mekong River trips originating from Saigon) than Chau Doc but it had to be on my list of stops for a brief two nights.
By making these frequent stops I only have to ride the minibus for a few short hours between towns which actually is not as bad as it has been described (Cambodia might be a different story).

If I am in a touristy town I might as well be a tourist so I booked a Mekong River boat tour which was if not the only, than one of the very few tours I will take on this (or any) trip.
The 8 hr boat trip was 22 dollars after bargaining, not cheap but once in a while I am OK throwing some Dong into the Vietnamese economy.

I was picked up before sunrise, visited two floating markets, a rice noodle factory, watched hours of simple life passing by on the waterfront, stopped for a great fish soup (80,000VND - 5 dollars) which was preceded by a chair massage (50,000VND - 3 dollars) and got to drive the motor boat.
The trip was worth it, an action packed yet relaxing day!

Fortunately in Vietnam almost everyone is OK with their photos being taken especially after eye contact, a friendly smile and sometimes pointing at the camera for permission.

The other trip offered to me was a Mekong Delta 6 day trip riding with a driver on the back of a motorbike at 30 dollars a day plus food and accommodation.
Not only that it is beyond my budget I prefer shorter motorbike rides (rear end comfort factor is one of the reasons).

Interestingly foreigners cannot rent and drive cars in Vietnam only motorbikes, if you want a rental car you need a Vietnamese driver too.
Not sure what the reason for this is (except communists do not need reasons) but the revenue loss of what tourists would spend on rental cars is of course in the millions.

The way the American system of supply and demand is set up is still effecting me, I find it unbelievable that with so many tourist visiting Can Tho that I cannot find Lonely Planet guide books. Just one smart store could have a regional monopoly but it is Vietnam and not America.

The first photo at the beginning of this post is as typical and every day as it gets on the Mekong River. Woman probably on her way to the floating market just minutes after sunrise.

The working day (every day) starts before sunrise; man in his boat smoking a cigarette in front of is house. I like the mix of warm and cold colors; taken from my moving tour boat:

Mother watching son during sunrise on their pineapple-selling boat at Can Tho floating market:

Busy floating market on the Mekong River. The way the boats move around inside the market reminds me of street traffic, no rules, a bit of bumping each other around but somehow an organized chaos:

Proud mother and her son in their boat at the Can Tho floating market:

Girl washing clothes in the Mekong River:

Woman carrying goods in her boat for the floating market:

Typical Vietnamese “architecture” along the Mekong River using building materials of very different styles and origins:

House and two boats - picturesque life at least from the distance:

Passing by relaxing scenery of banana trees for hours:

Behind the row of banana trees often picture perfect beautiful emerald green rice fields appear:

Unexpected color along the Mekong River courtesy of water lilies:

Woman waiting in boat wearing colors of water lilies - OK, just trying to make a story here

Two cross eyed boats docked:

Vietnamese waterfront property anyone?

My lovely and flirtatious tour boat operator and travel guide: