In late November 2020, we were invited by our friend Alex to his hometown of Cao Lãnh, in the Đồng Tháp Province. The town is located about 150 kilometers southwest of Ho Chi Minh City. In previous conversations, he was very enthusiastic to show us his hometown near the famous Mekong River. Months earlier, while riding through the south of Vietnam, we loved the fresh air of the countryside, the food, and the friendly people. We were ready to get out of the city for another experience in this beautiful country.
On a Saturday at 5:00 am, we jumped on our motorcycle and followed Alex and his girlfriend Trang. It was the best time to leave the city of Ho Chi Minh in order to avoid traffic and make the best of our visit to the countryside town. The ride that usually takes a Vietnamese around 3 hours, it took us over 4 at about 50 kilometers per hour. Besides being safe, we wanted to enjoy the ride through innumerable rice fields, country homes, and beautiful scenery. We had stopped only once for breakfast along the highway and to fill up our fuel tank.
We arrived at Alex’s family’s beautiful country home and plantation around 10:00 am. The two-bedroom country home was surrounded by jackfruit, mango, and many other fruit trees. Around it was a pond where the family raised their own fish, and countless dogs roamed around the property. We felt relaxed being away from the city life noise and traffic. It was a complete change of scenery. The friendliness of the local people reflected right away through a man we met, which left an instant impression. His name was Mr. Sáu, which apparently translates as number 6 in English. When we talked about him, we referred to him as Mr. Six.
Mr. Six, the man in charge of the house and land was quick to express the happiness of seeing foreigners visiting. Soon after we arrived, he had left somewhere and later returned with a huge jackfruit he hand-picked from the land. This extremely fit 60-year-old guy effortlessly chopped the fruit in quarters and offered it to us to refresh ourselves. The fruit was sweet and delicious to the taste. Later he brought homegrown Ambarella fruit as well. We had never tried this fruit. It tasted similar to green guava, and we also enjoyed a few with salt.
While relaxing on the hammock and chairs, we played with the youngest puppies in the house. Their race was unknown to us, but that did not matter. They were extremely cute and almost instantly fell in love with them. We enjoyed playing with them that we named them Tiki (the brown one) and Toko (the white and black). It was very relaxing to have contact with them and sleeping with them on the hammock.
Other family members were in town for a family wedding somewhere else. We decided to stay at home enjoying the fresh air and playing with the dogs. During that time, we had the sensation that time passed slower than in the city. Around lunch time, we went for a ride through town. The streets were almost empty. The few people passing by seemed to go somewhere with determination or be busy on some important task. Lunch had been at a local seafood restaurant.
Later in the evening, a gathering with Alex’s father and family members along with Mr. Six was the plan for dinner. The outside tables under a porch were full of food and drinks. On that evening, beer fell from the skies. Mr. Six had one too many and made him speak in a language that nobody seemed to understand. Later we learned that he was speaking in a Cambodian dialect he learned in his youth during the Vietnam war. The way he spoke had felt very passionate; we felt we had to at least acknowledge his words. We are sure Mr. Six’s life can be a great book to read.
After dinner, it was time to get some much-needed rest. The next morning, we woke up extremely revitalized. We had slept like babies. Perhaps due to the fresh countryside air, the stress-free environment, or the hard mattress. Whatever it was, it was great. For breakfast, we had some locally made fried goodies filled with vegetables and meat, along with fresh brewed tea.
Lunchtime came around quickly and Mr. Six began throwing his fishing net on the pond looking for a good catch to cook for us. He managed to catch a nice catfish which quickly cleaned, cooked. It had been served with rice porridge made by Trang, along with vegetables. It was a simple, but extremely delicious meal.
After resting for a couple of hours, it was time to leave the town of Cao Lãnh. We said goodbye to Mr. Six, Tiki, and Toko. Before heading back to the City, we stopped to say goodbye to Alex’s parents at their Karaoke shop in town. Their friendly smiles made an impression on us and we thank them for hosting us at their home.
We loved our visit to the town Of Cao Lãnh in southern Vietnam. Without knowing us, these people selflessly shared their home and a portion of their lives. Hours later, after riding in the evening darkness, passing cars and trucks, we arrived in the city around 9:00 pm.
Leaving Ho Chi Minh city’s concrete buildings, pollution, and heavy traffic for a day was very much worth it.
