Two small passenger boats are poled in the shallow Mekong waters near Mytho

Two small passenger boats are poled in the shallow Mekong waters near Mytho

Two small passenger boats with drivers at each end are poled in the shallow Mekong River waters near Mytho. The blue boat moving towards the front is empty, while the other moving in the opposite direction is full with four passengers.Boat passengers sit on painted wood planks seats. A few other people stand at a small dock near palms on the shore at right. The waterways of the Mekong are the region's primary conduit for local trade and transportation.The Mekong River flows approximately 2,800 miles from the high plateaus of Tibet to the fertile delta regions now within southern Vietnam and Cambodia. The rich river delta soils allow up to three crops of rice per year and form the major food-producing regions of both countries. Almost 2/3 of Vietnam's food supply is grown in the Mekong delta area southeast of Ho Chi Minh City.