In 1966, when the cover name “7th RRU” was changed to the new cover name “101st RRC,” the four platoons left Saigon for new territory among the four Corps areas. The 4th Platoon, logically, was assigned to the IV Corps area, the Mekong Delta. They may have recoiled at this, thinking there is nothing in the delta but swamps full of snakes, crocodiles, and Viet Cong. If they complained, though, it served them no purpose, because off they went to Can Tho. For the first couple of months, they were billeted with the 156th Aviation (Radio Research). Soon, however, they moved into the top two floors (further from the snakes) of the Delta Hotel. The top floor was their operations, and the next floor down was their sleeping quarters. They spent a lot of time, though, on the first floor of the hotel because that’s where the bar was (snakes or no snakes). They also spent a lot of time on road trips throughout the Delta region. They came to calling themselves “The Road Runners,” perhaps because “The Snake Platoon” had already been claimed.
During the War, Can Tho was generally surrounded by Viet Cong. The city itself, however, remained loyal to the South Vietnamese government. Can Tho was the last city to surrender to the communist forces, which they did on May 1, 1975, the day after Saigon fell.
Today Can Tho is a major city with a population of well over one million. It is situated on National Highway 1A, on the south bank of the Hau River, is home to the Can Tho International Airport (since 2011), and has a large freshwater port and two industrial parks. In 2007, the Can Tho Bridge collapsed, killing fifty people. The bridge has since been rebuilt as the longest cable-stayed (suspension) bridge in Southeast Asia. There is now a six-lane expressway linking Can Tho to Ho Chi Minh City, which can also be accessed by hydrofoil express boat.
Can Tho still shows the influences of its former Khmer, Chinese, and French inhabitants. The Binh Thuy house, over a hundred years old, on the outside is pure French. Inside, though, it is pure Vietnamese and decorated with antiques. The Ong Pagoda was built by the Chinese during their presence, and the Khmer people built the Munirangsyaran Pagoda. The area still has a noticeable Khmer minority population.
In addition to the Chinese and Khmer Pagodas mentioned above, there are numerous other Buddhist pagodas and a Catholic Cathedral and seminary. One of the pagodas, Thien vien Lam Phuong Nam, appears to be extremely interesting if only for the myriad statuary. Unfortunately, I was not able to find anything written about it in English. I have included pictures anyway.
Outlying villages and islets offer a plethora of cottage industries, including the manufacture of rice paper, noodles, and nuoc mam made the traditional way. (For those who are not familiar with nuoc mam, it is a fish sauce, a condiment made by fermenting fish. It is quite aromatic and probably an ‘acquired taste.’)
It is quite natural that fish would play a major part in the lives of the people in the delta. The people of the area have developed many tools and methods for catching fish and shrimp, with each tool and method used under different conditions and for different species. One method involves the use of a large net bag, placed in the river or canal at high tide. As the tide recedes, the fish and shrimp follow the flow of water into the net as they instinctively avoid being stranded on dry ground. There are other types of nets used in other ways. They also use different types of bamboo fish traps. One of them has a single point of entry and includes along the body thin sharp-pointed bamboo needles which prevent the fish from swimming backwards out of the trap, similar to the action of a punji trap.
Of course, the area is also heavily dependent on agriculture, being located in the fertile Mekong Delta. The region provides over half of the rice consumed in Vietnam. The local farmers also grow many types of fruits and vegetables, some of which we all know, and some of which we likely do not. Every year, Tan Loc Islet has its Garden Fruit Festival, a major tourist event. Locally grown fruits are displayed for both show and for sale and are also used to create elaborate decorations (think Rose Bowl floats without wheels). Fruit grown locally includes pomelo, longan, jackfruit, mango, guava, banana (I recognized the last three), rambutan, mangosteen, dragon fruit and durian.
A hundred years ago, the Mekong Delta had a lot more waterways than it had roads. Thus, it was easier for farmers to bring their produce for sale or trade to Can Tho by water. Then, rather than unload onto the land, they merely sold their produce directly from their boat, typically to someone in another boat, birthing the floating markets which are still operating today. In Can Tho, the largest floating market is the Cai Rang. The floating markets start operating as early as 4 AM and, while the suppliers remain there all day, most trading is over by 10 AM. The boater will drive a pole into the river bottom by their boat with a sample of their wares hanging from the pole so shoppers can find what they are seeking. The produce brought to market here is not purchased only by locals and tourists. There are larger boats present which will buy large quantities for transport elsewhere, including Cambodia and China. Some of the boats, rather than selling produce, are actually floating restaurants where shoppers can buy a meal to eat in or carry out. The American Master Chef Gordon Ramsay once claimed that a bowl of noodles he had at Cai Rang had one of the best broths he had ever tasted.
Can Tho also hosts the Phong Dien floating market. Phong Dien is a little further from the center of the city, is smaller than Cai Rang, and has a larger preponderance of boats which do not have the benefit of motors. It is a more slowly paced and intimate affair than Cai Rang, with farmers exchanging gossip with each other.
One of the main draws to the Can Tho area is eco-tourism. People come from all over to ride the rivers and canals of the delta in sampans or bicycle on the trails that parallel the waterways. Some 60 km from Can Tho City is the Bang Lang Stork Sanctuary. During the war, it seemed that wildlife was scarce to nonexistent, except of course for snakes and a few tigers in the highlands. Common wisdom had it that Vietnam had 100 species of snakes. Ninety-nine were deadly poisonous, and the other one would just eat you as is.
Can Tho is now an important center for economics, culture, science and technology, creating a stark difference between the city proper and the surrounding area. There are no fewer than twelve different colleges and universities here, and The Can Tho Museum preserves the history of the different ethnicities who have settled the area.
The Can Tho Grand Prison is a popular destination for some for sightseeing and studying. The official description is the “living hell on earth where French colonialists and US imperialists used to imprison and torture many generations of Vietnamese soldiers and patriots.” The prison was built in 1886. In 1996, the Ministry of Culture and Information declared it a national level historical sight. Today, it is a wax museum depicting different torture methods and specific political prisoners. For the Vietnamese people, it serves as a symbol of pride in the “heroics and patriotism” shown by the prisoners.
The Can Tho government’s website, under “Entertainment,” lists several karaoke bars and the Ong De combination swimming pool, coffee shop, badminton courts and children’s playgrounds. The coffee shop also serves breakfast and lunch. It lists no other entertainment venues, although there surely must be some.
Despite growth, progress, new developments and construction, along the rivers in and around Can Tho, one can still see the rusted corrugated metal buildings that were so common fifty years ago. Since the water is tidal, those closest to the water are on stilts. Like other Vietnamese cities, and probably like cities everywhere, many things have changed and many others have remained the same except for wear and tear.
