We were up early and left 6:30 AM to walk back to the boat dock to board the boat for the Tra On floating market. This is a less well known market to tourists. The market had a lot of activity with goods passing from boat to boat. The masts of the boat had the items for sale from that boat hanging. Breakfast was provided by a woman who pulled up in a small boat and seemed to have several dishes made from rice that tasted more like breakfast food and were good. After observing the activities of the market we returned to a bicycle shop of sorts near the home stay. Away we went with the first stop at a pagoda, Chua Pha Tanh. Then off under the blue skies to ride through the countryside. It was interesting to see the homes and navigate what were dirt paths with interspersed pot holes and ruts. I was trying to avoid a motor scooter on the path and the bike didn't stop properly so I took a fall and came up with my feet (in sandals) and one leg coated with mud but no harm done. Off we went to a real stop where we had a drink made from the syrup squeezed out of sugar cane. It was refreshingly good. As we continued on, I had one more fall and again no damage to me. We returned the bicycles after about two hours and then went over to catch the ferry to return to the home stay for lunch. About trhat time, it started raining and by the time the ferry got to the other side, it was pouring. We got off the boat and stood under an overhanging roof on the little building there. The guide took (no one there to sell) some disposable rain ponchos. We put these on (mine came with holes already in it and some split seams) and then headed down the dirt path to get back to the home stay. We were totally soaked when we got there. I chose not to change clothes because then I might have two sets of wet clothes if the rain persisted and I had nowhere to pack the wet clothes I was wearing. So I zipped off the legs of my pants and hung them to dry we ate lunch. The lunch was good and seemed to use all of the uneaten food from dinner the night before.

We had a small "siesta" in the hammocks and then readied our belongings for our departure. The rain had let up, but we still had to go back through the muddy path. I had no idea how my rolling duffle bag with wheels would make it (and it was too heavy to carry that far). Veronique and I walked with our homestay hostess back to the landing dock. The guide came by us with my bag placed on the back of the motor scooter of our host just balancing there. As he came by us, the bag slipped off into the mud. Oh well! We finally got to the boat dock and Veronique realized she had left her shirt which was hanging to dry so the guide had to go back to get it. Fortunately he made it back in time for the last boat leaving to go to Can Tho.

We arrived in Can Tho and checked into our hotel. I looked at my camera and realized that with one or more falls, the filter over the lens had become scratched. In the U.S., this filter size is very hard to find. Veronique and I went out for dinner and shared lau, a hot pot for two. On the way back we passed a small camera store that had some filters in the display case. I couldn't remember the exact size of mine so went back to the hotel a block away to get the information. When I returned, the store was closed, but I could see the woman inside. I knocked, she answered, and, amazingly, the filter in the correct size was there and I purchased it for $5. I was very happy, returned to the hotel and went to bed.