As much as my body wanted to stay warm in bed, I forced myself to get up to capture the sunrise in the Cai Rang River.

But more than the sunrise what caught my attention the most were the locals walking and biking on the rocky and rough road outside Minh’s home.

It was a Saturday and yet, kids were going to school in bikes. Minh offered to show me the local market and the school. Both were just a few meters away from their home.

He pointed the bike which I can use but then I hesitated. It’s been decades since I rode a bike. My fear of falling and getting bruised prevented me from riding the bike. I politely declined. He then hopped on his motorbike and offered the ride.

I felt so lucky to be guided by a local of Cai Rang. About 10 minutes away from his home, I saw how the Vietnamese in Cai Rang spent their Saturday.

Kids clad in their uniform and slippers were running and roaming around their school. It did not look like a regular school day but more of a clean-up day.

After a few minutes, my feet brought me out of the school and into the local market. I started shooting and noticed the exotic goods that they were selling. One lady was selling a slimy gliding creature, which looked like a snake but later on, Minh told me that they were eels.

The Public Market of Cai Rang was no stranger to floods like what some places in the Philippines experience.

There were so many stories in the local market. It gave me a preview of the locals’ lives. Indeed, I was enjoying every moment of it.

Minh introduced his friend who has a cute chubby baby named Thiem but his nickname was Schumong because he’s big and heavy. They allowed me to hold the baby and have my photo taken with him.

I checked my watch. It’s time to return to his house for breakfast. My parents and I said our farewells to Minh’s family aboard their motor boat and off we go to the boat station in Can Tho City.