Big Water

We awoke to knee-deep gnarly brown water at the front and an overflowing rice paddy at the back but, sadly, not enough water to justify a day off from school.  We biked through the sludge to dry land and did our usual morning academic thing. Then we decided to have an afternoon "big water adventure."  We took a bike ride to the Ancient City where there was indeed serious flooding.  It was a rubber-necker's dream.

                   

We started out with deep-water biking through some big puddles en route to the Ancient City. Big puddles are puddles deep enough to swallow your bike and dump you into the muddy drink if you hit the wrong hidden pot hole.  We persevered (with wet shorts, skirts, and all) to what used to be the Hoi An Market. With the market under water and two of the main streets submerged as well, all of the market vendors and tourists were squished into the one remaining dry block of the city. It was a gaggle of gawkers that clogged the streets.


  

 

Market by boat

 
When a flood strikes at home, it's typically a disaster situation.  It seems wrong to gawk at someone else's misfortune.  Here the annual floods are just part of life.  One of the hazards of owning prime property on the riverfront is that it will almost always flood during rainy season.  The residents are prepared.  The shopkeepers pack up their inventory and head for higher ground, and the opportunistic fishermen transform their vessels into tourist transporters for the curious.

The river takes over

Naturally we were among the curious, so we hired a boat and floated through the streets we have become so accustomed to walking.  The biggest tragedy was that "Cargo," my favorite bakery, was swimming in flood water.  If even one of those luscious chocolate cakes didn't survive, then this flood would merit disaster status in my book.





We floated, marveled, took photos, and finished off the afternoon with tasty Vietnamese market snacks.  World culture, physical education, and culinary exploration all in one afternoon.  Lovin' it!

                

  

          

Yum!