Going to the South is not only to see the long river...

A trip to the South, where ebb and flow are closely linked to life. Not only is it the alluvial river, but it is also the rustic, affectionate lifestyle of the Westerners.

The long river - Photo: THANH LOAN

One afternoon in the Mekong Delta, the sound of lapwings was quiet but I saw the ebb and flow of water.

The West and the ebb and flow

- Is this mangrove fruit young or the small kind?, I asked a waitress.

- Yes, this is a sparrow. The sparrow has small fruit like that.

It turns out that in here, it's the same as in the Central region, small varieties are often accompanied by the word "sparrow". The tiny yet fragrant chives are often sliced ​​into fish cake noodle soup bowls. The tiny guavas can be kept in a bag for a few days and still be fragrant after opening...

Rows of small-fruited mangrove trees swayed in clusters on the banks of the canal. The canal was not as big as a river, about ten meters from one bank to the other, enough for boats to carry fruit and rice back and forth. The water was muddy, the strong current carried along clumps of water hyacinth, swaying and tossing.

- Is the water here usually that strong, son?

- No, it's because the tide is low. The tide is going down strongly. When this low tide ends, the water will flow in the opposite direction.

Oh, I've only heard it in songs, now I get to see and hear my Western brother clearly tell me about the water in this river region.

If you look up books or Google, you will learn that all of the above are tidal phenomena. But I don’t need Google’s help yet, because I have seen it with my own eyes and “Google in the flesh” talks about the tides with enthusiasm and friendliness.

Now I understand why the land in the South has always been fertile for generations. I understand why the rivers, canals and streams here are always muddy with sparkling drops of alluvium. I understand why the gardens and fields are always green.

Struggling but still clinging to the river, to the ferry

Street vendor on the ferry across the Tien River

An afternoon on the An Hoa ferry. The sun was blazing, the wind was blowing, the engine was roaring. The river was so wide that no shore could be seen. Looking far away, all I could see was a long, tiny green line. I asked the ferry vendor and she said this was the Tien River.

- Is this Tien River very deep?

- Yes, it's deep, honey. It's seaweed season, honey. I was surprised to hear another concept.

- Is it spring water or ebb water? What is the difference between spring water and ebb water?

- It's different, honey, the water level is high for a few days, usually in the middle and end of the month, according to the lunar calendar. In between, the water level drops, and on those days the water level drops...

She told me that ebb tide and flood tide are the water levels that rise and fall during the day. And ebb tide and trickle tide are the water levels that rise and fall during the month.

She said this ferry is An Hoa ferry, named after this side. This side is Dong Thap. Also called by the name of the other side is Cho Vam ferry, the other side is An Giang .

- Do you know what that green thing in the distance is? It's Phu Thuan Islet...

- So in which season do our people make more profit than you?

- Now it's every season, honey. Every season is slow and it's hard to make a living...

Just as she said, people all go by road, few take the ferry, and few people go, few buy her products.

Looking at her worried eyes, I understood how difficult her life and the lives of the people working in the river region are.

The tide is associated with every life

Every life has its ups and downs, like the flood season, the low tide season, or when the tide is low or when the river is high.

The water level is associated with every life, every person, every hour, every moment, every rhythm of daily life. Therefore, people living along the river have known how to rely on the water level for farming, raising livestock, fishing, transportation, and connection.

They wait for high tide to get water into their gardens and fields, and to condense the alluvial soil into fertile square gardens and fields.

They wait for the water to rise so they can open their boats to carry rice home and fruit to the market. They wait for the water to rise to visit each other, to tell one side of the river to the other side, "Wait a moment, when the water rises, I'll catch the boat and go across to you right away"...

They waited for the water to go down to build up, to bail out, to get traps to find a bunch of perch, a bunch of crabs, a bunch of three-sided crabs... for the little ones to take to the market to sell, leaving a few to braise in a pot of fish sauce, to cook a pot of sour soup with water mimosa flowers for dinner. A dried grilled fish, a mangrove fruit, and a mortar of salt for Uncle Tu and Uncle Tam to chat about the sky, the moon, the clouds, and the water of Le Thuy season...

There is no need to follow the tide calendar, the calendar is already in the eyes of the people of the river region. They just look at the water level, aim at the water level to determine the water level of the day, of the month. Therefore, I like to look into their eyes, the whole "sky of Google" exists in that look. Google in the flesh, with the sincere and simple treatment of the people of the Southern land.

NGUYEN THI THANH LOAN

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/ve-phuong-nam-khong-chi-ngam-con-song-dai-2025083021182127.htm