MEMMORIES ABOUT FERRIES AT THE MEKONG DELTA RIVERS
Accordingly, dozens and hundreds of ferries and cross-boats in large and small rivers gradually appeared, "temporarily connecting" the two banks. There are provinces and cities that are only separated by the river but seem so far apart since ferries have been linked closely together. The ferries of that day, as well as the bridges of today, when they were put into operation, excited the whole locality, and the trains and cars were busy day and night, not at all times. People around the ferries also have more jobs to sell food and drink, motorbike taxi drivers or street vendors also follow the ferries to make a living, from which the whole area is bustling.
The ferries at that time were designed of iron, powered by large engines. Both ends of the ferry are the same so that the car can get on and off easily without having to turn around. The path of the ferry, north simply crosses both sides of the river. When the ferry is about to dock, the whistle will sound to signal, people and vehicles are also preparing to continue the journey, traders and vendors take advantage of inviting guests, baskets of quail eggs, boiled chicken eggs, bags of sugarcane juice, iced coffee, iced tea... or bunches of sugar cane pinned on a bamboo branch split into eight, ten, ... are offered generously. At many riverbanks, these hawkers also follow customers off the ferry to trade and then return. Just like that, the ferries not only pick up people on both sides of the river but also carry the emotions of the people who make a living.
Today, when modern bridges have been built, connecting the two shores is also the time when the ferries have completed their mission, closing themselves to the back. There are ferries that have existed for decades, even hundreds of years, associated with generations of people. It is deeply ingrained in the way of eating and living of the people along with the ferry.
Following the development of modernity, the ferries have gradually become "outdated" compared to the integration trend, so they had to "close themselves" and transfer the important mission to spacious and solid bridges. Ferry terminals bring excitement, noise, and bustle until the ferry terminal is no longer available, these locations return to the original milestone of several decades ago, quiet and deserted. Although they no longer exist, those ferry terminals still live forever in the memory of people in the West. Because in the past, there have been many times when Westerners used to stand at the ferry station to watch their family come back, or how many times have Western boys fluttered with girls in flowing dresses like musician Tran. Thien Thanh wrote in his song:
“(…) You are beautiful in grandma's shirt
Hurry up or you'll be late for the night ferry
Across the river of Can Tho (…)”
The noise of the machine, slow and old, is now gone. The sadness of a certain traveler became more and more wilted because he could no longer see the purple hyacinths floating on the vast rivers. Immense rivers and ferries closed like that. Perhaps the image of a miniature market on ferries that used to go up and down will be the most unforgettable thing for people in the West. The shouts of goods, shouting at each other, calling each other, etc. all blend into a chord that only those who are too familiar with the ferry will know very well.
It is the pleasure of travelers to find the ferries they have been on, but it is not easy.
Today, when all is left is a memory. people crave the feeling of a certain night, when the lonely moon shines down on the immense Tien, Hau, etc., and hear the sound of an old, rusty machine again. How poetic when traveling on the night ferries to hear the sound of water lapping against the ferry body, as sadness is gently patted and soothed. Oh! How dear are the idyllic ferries in memory!