The Mekong River is the 12th longest river in the world, running for 4,350 km (2,703 mi). Starting in the Yunnan province of China, it flows through Myanmar (Burma), Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, and finally Vietnam.  The area where the Mekong empties into the sea through a plethora of distributaries is known as the Mekong Delta, and is considered a “treasure trove” for biologists, with over 1,000 species of animals documented between 1997 and 2007, including many that were previously thought to be extinct. Today it’s common to see the channel full of shipping vessels rushing down it’s muddy waters, passing many local “floating markets” along the way.