All stories are unique, united by the road each of us has chosen to travel. All roads are different, some busy, some quieter, where apparent silence gives way to unexpected discoveries.
We decided to take one of these roads in Can Tho, a large urban centre on the Mekong Delta. Defiled, tucked away, close and distant from the bombastic city traffic. At the entrance, a sign reads “The Heart of Vietnam,” introducing a narrow, calm and rather short street that in about 200 meters of asphalt welcomes stories of people, stories that happen and disappear suddenly.
Each step on the route revealed new alleys and scenes of life that manifested before our eyes, as if each meter was a frame full of vivid contrasts, showing us a different viewpoint of Vietnam. A point of view we had not yet savoured until now.
In this network of roads less travelled, every facade whispers stories, and every open window invites a spy on everyday moments that unfold with the naturalness of a life lived with simplicity. Children run and, shy, hide. Artisans work meticulously on the edge of their homes with hands that stand the test of time, while street vendors with their carts filled with fruits, soups and spices colour the air with pungent, sweetish smells. Turning each corner the view changes, sometimes sharpening, sometimes opening to the entrance of a new home, sometimes lingering at the smile of a stranger who makes you feel at home.
Scents and noises guide our turns with a light heart, confident that our choice can only be the right one. In this network of roads less travelled, we try to chase moments that do not belong to us, yet with extreme generosity are given to us by the people who live here. People for whom this road is not just any road, but a source of memories, given by the choice to put down roots there.
Here a memory was also given to us, a place where stories intertwine and then divide again, and which allowed us to understand that a seemingly wrong turn can lead to unexpected beauty, which you cannot help but fall in love with at the end of the journey.
