Deadliest Journeys - Vietnam: The Geniuses Of Mekong

[Applause] [Music] [Music] baby [Music] [Music] [Applause] my friends [Applause] mr lin challenges the laws of equilibrium [Applause] everyday i'll sell them to you for 150 000 my usual price can't you do vietnamese are masters of problem solving an applied science makes with patients a definite plus in trying to balance 200 shellfish traps on a bicycle these bamboo bars are essential for transportation they prevent the goods from falling off because they are rather bulky and the road is very bad [Music] there's no specific technique but these small traps go below and the big ones go on top on we must put all these traps on the bike pack them tightly mr lin takes his time mrs anger yen would prefer it if he frees up the place quickly 20 more traps a lot less than he is between people in this business we help each other out we'll put it on top the bike now resembles a giant porcupine the fragile arrangement is put to the test as soon as it leaves the workshop can you help me please thank you the road to mr lin's village is chaotic [Music] any accident and half the load will just be fit for the trash vietnamese are not short on ideas when it comes to caring as much as possible as far as possible transport bamboo for example whole shipments are transformed into a raft most dangerous place is the cave of the ghost yeah the current is very strong and there are a lot of cliffs but when one is poor and there is no river nearby transporting bamboo is a real challenge [Applause] this farmer has a solution he's built his own truck he just needs to learn how to use it oh yeah with my car i can go anywhere all over the place in all the villages it's not like the big large vehicles that get bogged down in vietnam cars and vans are a luxury and transporters have to adapt two wheels usually replace trucks [Applause] [Music] well during the rush hours there's uh traffic jams everywhere everybody runs over everyone else rice soy and fish are the staple diet in asia and in neighboring layoffs fishing in the rapids of the mekong river requires a certain amount of courage [Music] we must be strong sturdy and strong swimmers otherwise it's guaranteed death [Music] ingenuity is a key word in vietnam throughout the journey mr lin does his zigzag dance [Applause] come on pedal he's not drunk on snake alcohol but from fatigue staying balanced takes a lot of effort what i'm carrying is very cumbersome plus there's quite a lot of wind today yeah time [Music] what's dangerous is crossing the road or trying to turn because i can't look behind me to see what's going on i have to get off and have a good look at the road [Applause] he's been pedaling somehow for five hours three hours longer than usual he has no choice but to cut along the river i'll take a small path it's uh it's a shortcut to the village the trouble is though that it's difficult to get through it's used by buffaloes and farmers but hardly recommended for a bicycle and all of its cargo hello problem with this shortcut is that it takes longer so i will be late especially when the god kahoma a cousin of the god a holy gets involved the wind is so destably it's very after years of war and embargoes that have handicapped its economy communist vietnam is opening up to the world its industry and agriculture is developing at great speed notably tourism but this new economy has led to some traditional trades disappearing there is less and less demand people don't use these traditional tools much anymore [Applause] the villagers are gradually changing professions such as making handicrafts for tourists soon nobody will make traps like these anymore mr lin finally arrives with all his cargo intact after six hours of peddling the vietnamese lived to the rhythm of two plants rice to eat and bamboo with its many uses [Applause] there's one that's a nice one here you cut it at the root there have been several accidents either the bamboo breaks and falls on the wrong side or when it is cut the bamboo splinters and becomes very sharp here now be careful not to walk on it because it's as sharp as a razor blade the province of thanghawa has the largest bamboo forests of southeast asia an endless supply with a plant growing up to eight meters tall in just three years cutting the bamboo is very tiring work that's the only way we can make a living we go to the forest we cut the bamboo and carry it all down to the river in fact the bamboo is carried for over a kilometer [Music] this one weighs between 35 and 40 kilos my shoulder hurts be careful the slope is very slippery the workers make about one euro a day cutting and transporting the bamboo [Applause] the bravest among them can make ten times that much by going on to the next stage which is to build a giant machine raft can be made from 500 to 600 bamboo rods we have to go on the river because there is no other way instruction is without the use of nails or rope which are too expensive [Applause] it's not strong enough it needs another layer [Music] make sure the raft reaches its destination the ties need to be strong because if the current is too strong and it's poorly attached it will be difficult to control one year the current was so strong but once we lost an entire rafter a good raft must be flexible and in particular narrow to offer minimum resistance to the current it's too long this giant measures nearly 50 meters [Music] the raft is so big we'll need to anticipate the turns well in advance otherwise you risk running aground so this rudder will be useful you mean [Applause] the raft is hardly maneuverable it's like a half drunk vessel steered by captains in a fog of local tobacco smoke the bends in the river promise to be epic the whole time [Music] weather is good [Applause] 30 kilometers lie ahead and five hours are being tossed about at the whim of waves and currents [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] they're after sliding over the rocks be careful the ties that hold the bamboo are slowly loosened every time the raft hits some rocks the raft risks breaking [Applause] up foreign as soon as i learned to swim i went with my father and my uncles he taught me everything sometimes i carry up to 800 pieces of bamboo [Music] the capricious luang river prepares to catch out the crew a cave ghost passage guarantees a few cold sweats vietnam is home to a legendary river known as the mother of waters the mekong it nourishes the six countries through which it flows including laos which borders vietnam [Music] after traveling 5 000 kilometers from its source in the himalayas this is where the river vents its rage it crafted the renowned kone falls whose speed and volume is one of the greatest on the planet yet lao fishermen jump into the water without fear may the evil spirit leave and the good one remain help him every step he takes guide him on his past sam young age 52 says it's no coincidence he's never had an accident in 40 years i come here to ask the spirits for help in my job as a fisherman it's essential to have their blessing otherwise we won't be protected while we're fishing the falls stretch over nearly 10 kilometers the laotians call this region sea fandom the 4 000 islands the falls are dotted with land among the countless waterways of the mekong one of them is the hunting ground of samniang getting there takes good balance and steady nerves [Music] [Applause] [Music] because it's dangerous there are few people who come out here that's why there are more fish why i risk coming here in the first place my father and grandfather used to come here fish breed upstream when they go down the river they are trapped in the whirlpools which stun them this fish is called patchcock sometimes they're even bigger this one is about five kilos his net relentlessly for nine hours there are days when i can catch a dozen fish but not today there is too much current it is not a good day [Music] every time i cross i get a knot in my stomach i'm afraid of falling i'm afraid of dying but if i didn't go i can't feed my family everything depends on this road i cling to that rope so hard i can no longer feel my arms [Music] several families share the dangers of the rapids each has its own fishing technique how much are the two oh more than six kilos noy and his colleagues catch up to 100 kilos per day using a remarkable method this is a strategic place because here the fish come from the south heading north they get here and are blocked by the falls all noy and his team have to do is to pick the fish straight out of the water as the current pushes the fish into their ingenious wooden ramps [Music] the mekong is home to 200 different species of fish the larger specimens are caught with a trap that set in the middle of the rapids swimmer otherwise it's certain death the coney falls are as powerful as their counterparts at niagara i will put it over here it needs two to put the trap in place once it's in the water with the force of the current its weight becomes unmanageable for just one person it happened to a young man who was a good swimmer but he was drunk and when he was crossing he dropped the rope that day the current was so strong that he was smashed against the rocks each year two or three fishermen are swallowed up by the mekong our life is fishing these techniques come from our parents and our grandparents who lived off the fish when you're kids you learn to live on the water [Music] [Applause] today i've got at least 20 kilos of fish it's a good catch it's days like this that motivate me and makes me want to come back slowly however the fish are disappearing pesticides used in intensive agriculture largely to blame but the twelve dams along the route of the mekong from the himalayas to the delta of vietnam haven't helped either laos is mainly buddhist once a week noy the fisherman and his wife go to the temple both have sins to be forgiven and that's why i come [Music] so that nothing happens to him their prayers however can do little against the giant dams being built and that will flood the entire region the great life force that are the coney falls will be extinguished noy and the others will have to find other ways of fishing for food in vietnam on the luang river the bamboo rafters in smoother waters the men take advantage of the calm to reinforce it after all it's been through we'll make it nice again so that it will be presentable for the delivery [Applause] it's important to strengthen the ties so that the raft remains solid bamboo cutters usually belong to the hormone ethnic group allies of the french and then the americans in the two wars that have shaken vietnam the hamong are still paying the price they get all the worst jobs there are other jobs but minorities like the hamong uh for us there's just bamboo here logging is prohibited only luang river bamboo is allowed bamboo provides a multitude of products and as a result we can get by as the waters become more agitated the raft soon begins its mad rush the stretch ahead is really hard because it's a big bend turning a raft almost 50 meters long is not easy in the distance lies the infamous ghost cave and its much feared turn in the river just oh this time the ghost was lenient on the last visit the raft was wrecked against the walls push come on and his bamboo cargo scattered into the river [Music] [Music] once on the song ma river a motorboat comes to help the riverbank marks the end of the trip [Music] all the rafts are about 3 000 bamboos this is what we must get delivered to the boss there are wholesalers they buy our bamboo and sell it on to the factories for us the job is finished now we go back home up in the mountains the monsoon complicates the lives of the villagers the torrential rain transforms the tracks into slimy muddy pathways [Applause] [Music] [Applause] for nearly three months transport is paralyzed delivery of the mountain bamboo cannot be guaranteed the road is too slippery i have to stop even if the country is communist the solution is not in his little red book [Applause] van li is a winner a great helmsman but he doesn't guide the people he guides this machine instead which he's put together himself in which he calls a tuk-tuk it's a chinese uh generator 2.4 kilowatts it works on diesel this is the accelerator that i designed and manufactured myself all you see is locally designed and homemade the shell of the tuk-tuk is from a 1970s russian truck [Applause] up in the mountains van lee and his assistant leave loaded with a cargo of bamboo [Applause] his strange machine must comply with certain rules at least [Applause] as it's a vehicle that i made in my garage the authorities prohibit me from driving it on paved roads truck admittedly has no security system and braking is haphazard at best it's probably better not to be in the way well there's no power steering to handle the vehicle you have to turn the steering wheel as hard as you can so it's quite hard and it's tiring on the small roads and even across the streams it's not as big as trucks they'll get bogged down mine goes everywhere [Music] when it rains it gets really slippery so the danger is falling into the ravine because there's no grip according to van lee his truck can go anywhere well almost okay we're stuck [Applause] so hard what happens to us they see they see us and they just volunteer it's still a long way to the bamboo forest complaining won't do any good and the pig just needs to learn to take his troubles patiently [Music] two wheels in vietnam is essentially a way of life there are an estimated 40 million motorcycles in the country one for every two people the highest concentration in the world [Music] [Applause] [Music] tang is a motorcycle taxi driver in hanoi the capital the density of motorbikes in hanoi is very high [Music] [Music] assuming you can hear it amidst the constant cacophony when it's crowded like this you you need to use the horn it annoys the people but if you don't nobody will let you pass in vietnam cars are still a luxury while the motorcycle is accessible to all no color or symbol indicates the tang is a motorcycle taxi the only clue is that he remains close to his motorcycle oh it's a hassle to travel around in the old town it's easier to walk wow but on foot you were forced to walk in the middle of the street because there's no room on the pavement even if it's practical the motorbike is a problem in hanoi there's barely enough room and their old small engines are heavy polluters but for just one euro a trip it's a popular means to transport all kinds of goods [Music] the lighter but bulky boxes go on the side [Music] now we can get about 50 kilos on board [Applause] [Music] [Applause] in addition to people i also carry goods that way i make enough money to be able to live properly if it's not too large i can carry up to 200 kilos [Applause] there this will hold it be careful uh the luggage is very fragile can you call me when you get there [Music] the young woman has reason to be concerned motorcycles cause up to three quarters of all accidents and an average of almost 30 people a day are killed on the roads in vietnam i had it well tied down but it was too heavy i lost balance and i fell off neither was the fridge for that matter i'm leaving this for mrs [Applause] unfortunately the addressee was there otherwise i would have had to wait [Music] for over 15 years tang has been winding his way through the streets of hanoi for six hours a day i'm 56 years old this year i'm not as strong now i'm going to work just for another three years my sight is not as good and my legs are weaker i'll carry on until my children finish their studies and then i'll stop [Music] its backfire resounds throughout the mountains tuktuk the truck constructed by driver van lee arrives where they will load up [Applause] the drizzle that's been falling since they started out has now turned into a heavy downpour family is starting to have his doubts we need you to take it as as far as you can how far is that 30 kilometers what if i get bogged down with all of this don't worry we'll we'll help you yeah i got invited if the road is too steep we'll have to unload everything [Music] because of the rain it's difficult to find a good driver like like him who also knows this road and can deliver the goods to their destination [Applause] finally they hit the road then lee negotiated for twice the price it could cause an accident the driver can jump out fine otherwise he risks being crushed by the vehicle and it's load [Music] i only feel really safe when i get home [Music] the journey is being made at about the same speed as an ox cut [Applause] [Music] after five hours the truck crawls into the bamboo plant oh we finally arrived the road was terrible i really thought the car was going to give up the ghost but we're safe and sound and i'm relieved [Applause] in the near future dirt tracks will be a thing of the past in vietnam one of the last communist countries to open up to the world dealing with the economic crisis education the restructuring of public companies and the fight against corruption are the priorities vietnam is a tiger that's about to wake up and raw [Music] um [Music] um [Music] you

Channel: Best Documentary

Views: 711,862

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Keywords: National Geographic, travel, free documentary, roads, documentary, waterways

Id: bmjP0bVr1AQ

Length: 50min 40sec (3040 seconds)

Published: Mon Aug 31 2020