Yesterday evening, walking along the riverfront, I came to a boat with three decks, stacked on top of each other, sitting solidly in the water by the riverside. There was a wedding going on in the middle deck, but the top deck was empty. Table cloths blew about in the wind as waitresses laid the tables. I ordered a beer. I asked for some ice. The waitress brought me a straw. I asked for it in Vietnamese. She had a tantrum and ran off to complain to another waitress. Someone else brought me some ice.
A group of Vietnamese people sat at the table next to mine. They smiled. They said hello. Eventually one of them admitted that he lived in the US, so he spoke English (not very well). I ordered some fish balls. They ordered rice, greens, meat and beer. They soon started buying beer for me, then offering me food, then they told me that I should not leave because the boat was going on a little night cruise.
By now the whole top deck was full, every table surrounded by Vietnamese people. The sun had set and fairy lights flashed on and off above the deck. A series of singers performed on stage at the other end of the deck, Vietnamese traditional songs and pop songs alternately. Different singers performed downstairs for the wedding. There was so much noise from the music and the happy conversations of the diners that no-one heard the boat leave. It glided down the river sedately for an hour or so, then glided back.
Today I caught a bus to Rach Gia and caught a boat to the island of Phu Quoc, which is about as far south as I can get in Vietnam.
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