The Mekong Delta

A week ago, we drove from Ho Chi Minh City to Long Xuyen in An Giang Province in Vietnam.  We were there to visit our students on service-learning projects in An Giang. 

The trip took 5 hours, and took us deep into the Mekong Delta.  

We crossed wide branches of the famous Mekong River on long concrete bridges.  And also small bridges. 

We also took a ferry to cross another very wide branch of the river. 

There are so many bridges of all shapes and sizes.  

There are also hundreds and thousands of boats, big and small.  

Parts of the river run very fast.  There are also parts that are almost completely still.  

It is a wonderful, fascinating place.  Millions of people live there, and make their living there.  TheMekong starts in China, flows past Thailand, Lao, Cambodia, and then Vietnam. Much of the delta are really islands in the middle of the river, created by the sand washed down the river.  Now they feel solid.  How long did it take for this to happen?  And for how long will they stay this way?