Chau Doc.

Chau Doc is a busy, scruffy town facing the Hau Giang (Bassac) river. One of the many waterways in the Mekong delta. I struggle with placing the people here. Some are curious-like they never saw a white face before. Some are friendly and helpfull. Others seems like they want you to go to hell on a one way ticket. Some places the service is the poorest and most indifferent I've experienced. Not only on this trip. I count in 19 months in South America, plus a few other trips as well.

 I arrived with minibus from Hatien. On a ticket which i think was overpriced-to what extent i don't know since i arrived in the country only a few days and that was my first trip of the kind. However i got a positive surprise outweighing that this morning, when i took a motorbike out to Sam mountain. The drivers price-first price-was actually less than i was prepared to pay. I got away with half a dollar for a 7 kilometers trip. No more fight needed. The trips later that day was battlefields though. I soon found that pressing down fare from the original asking price by more than 50% was both possible and needed. There are MANY ways of being tricked. Common practice here is to show the amount of money required and settled on if spoken language fall short. Problem is that the 20000 and 5000 dong bill can be mixed by a newbie. The drivers knows that. And use that knowledge. Another way of doing things is showing the appropriate numbers of fingers to show how many thousands-or ten-thousands dong settled on. Be certain the driver doesn't have one or more fingers semi bent....Or if writing the amount:printed style numbers recommended! If not-the poorly written numbers might change value at the end of the trip!

A poor living quarter at the riverfront, just down from the main market.

And the living continues out in the river itself. On stilted houses and floating homes. Oilbarrels keeps them above.

A remarkable well groomed house dog peers out from a stilted house.

A middle in the river floating petrolstation.

Recycling do take place. The waggon of a poor metal gatherer.

The local brand of rickshaw. Used for passengers as well as cargo. They abound in the market area.

In the red banner and the golden star we believe! Amen!

Typical socialistic public campaigning. And here everyone are equal-except most of them.

A pagoda in the city centre. The Bodhitree came from India in the 50'es as a tiny tree.

Street side family ceremony.

Breakfast view. In a part of the market where dried fish products-and "matured" ones, are sold. A smelly affair.

Sam Mountain is holy, with temples and shrines in rich abundance. This is the entrance area of the Tay An Pagoda. This building was constructed in 1958, but an earlier bamboo pagoda was built in 1847.

Delicious fruitbaskets for offerings. Wish I was a deity.

Somewhat kitchy. Tay An Pagoda.

In the gravetemple of Thoai Ngoc Hau. A high ranking official serving the Nguyen dynasty. He died in 1829.

Outside the gravetemple. The graves of other high ranking officials.

A pond outside the Cavern Pagoda.

And the entrance to the Cavern Pagoda. It is uphill. Always uphill.

The monsters of the dark. One of two snakes guarding a side tunell. 

Mirrors makes a few statues into many.

View from the top of Sam mountain. The delta is flat, so the mist and the horizon limits the sight range.

Embraced stone.

It can be a hard climb for many when heat is on. The refreshment stalls have a lovely painkiller. Some places also have great views.