Ke Ga beach tourism

The Ke Ga coastal area (Tan Thanh commune, Ham Thuan Nam district) is a tourist destination with a famous scenic spot, the Ke Ga lighthouse, which is over a hundred years old. The coastline has a row of ancient casuarina trees nestled in the shadow of the coastal sand dunes, still wild, the white-capped waves playing on the sand and the ocean breeze traveling a thousand miles is a majestic, lively, bustling melody that attracts tourists to gather.

The sea there has a lovely, bustling melody that has captivated my heart more than once. Whenever I miss it, I go to Ke Ga beach to look and listen, never getting bored.

bai-ngang.jpg.jpg — A corner of Ke Ga, Ham Thuan Nam. Photo: N.Lan

Remembering that time, after a day of playing on the lighthouse island, I stayed overnight in a room in Ke Ga village. I woke up early in the morning to hear the sound of the boat engine roaring, and people calling to each other. I walked along the shore to watch and listen to the movement of life on the beach. At 4am, the moment of harmony between day and night, when the mist was still lingering on the smoke and waves, the eastern horizon was glowing, the beach was bustling with the melody of a new day. From offshore, basket boats and small boats - probably the smallest among the boats - gradually approached the shore. The sound of propellers pushing the water echoed near the shore and then stopped.

It was a bustling, bustling time. Men and young men with big shoulders and thighs nimbly carried fish on their shoulders and carried them to the beach. Women and girls selected fish, named fish, bargained, agreed to buy and sold. Fish buyers drove Hondas with two baskets from the communal markets to the beach early. The sounds of laughter; the calls of people; the loud voices mixed together to create a bustling choral melody that drowned out the sound of the waves.

I feel happy when I see the coins changing hands; the coins are soaked with soft wetness; the coins contain the salty taste of the sea; the coins encapsulate the hard work of the fishermen. The pulse of life is vibrant, strong, bustling, creating a stream of enthusiastic vitality full of energy like a sea breeze blowing strongly, filling the chest.

The waves crept in, shy and sad because no one looked at them; no one looked at the sun like a huge orange-yellow plate slowly rising in the distance; no one looked at a giant, splendid pink fan spreading out over the ocean. Everyone focused their eyes on the fresh catch of fish. A lucky boat had a big catch of more than a ton of fish. The boat owner had a radiant face, holding a handful of money to pay his comrades. There were also boats that brought back a few dozen kilos of fish, enough to eat for the day, without worrying about whether they could not catch it today, they would get it another day. The fresh fish were neatly arranged in baskets, sías, and keels and sent in all directions. The farther the fish were transported, the more crushed ice was added. The closer the motorbikes carrying the fish would reach the morning market in half an hour, the fish still fresh and delicious.

There was no arguing or chaos at the beach, no pickpocketing, no security guards or militia. I saw the warm-heartedness of the boat owner and his fellow boatmen. “You can take the fish home to eat, I will take more to make up for it, I will not charge you”. Sometimes, in my thoughts, without saying it, “You are poor so I took the fish to eat, I will not blame you for anything”. Tourists took the trouble to take off their shoes, put them under their arms, roll up their pants above their knees, wade out to the boat to buy a kilo of fresh fish, the boat owner generously sold delicious and cheap fish. The guests were delighted to see the blue color of the sea on the back of the fresh, firm fish. They lit the charcoal stove, enjoyed grilled fish with salt and chili right at the beach, and added a bottle of good wine to increase their appetite for rustic cuisine. Hands peeled the grilled fish until it was golden brown and dripping with fragrant fat, they puffed up their noses and sniffed, their mouths pursed, their saliva dripping from their tongues. After drinking a kilo of grilled fish, they were still craving more. If you have higher culinary needs, want to drink steamed squid with ginger or grilled shrimp with tamarind, next to the beach there is also a restaurant selling fresh seafood swimming around in an oxygen lake.

Bai Ngang is the sea area of coracles and small boats that fish close to shore, without the ability to go far out to sea. Bai Ngang is a fishing village of a group of residents whose lives are still difficult and hard. Bai Ngang is a wharf waiting for boats to return, a wide and long sandy beach with enough space for a dozen coracles to come ashore to rest and relax; enough space for women and girls to sit and mend their nets in the calm afternoon; enough space for hundreds of people to sell and buy fresh fish; enough space for a few food and grocery stores; and even an ice crusher that makes a loud, grinding noise.

In the winter, when the sand blows harshly, the sandbank “runs” to the other side. In the summer, when the sandbank is abundant, it returns to this side. And so on, every year, it runs back and forth twice. Hundreds of people depend on the sandbank, fishing and trading seafood. Here, people have big, muscular arms and legs to pull nets and boats; broad shoulders and thick chests to face the wind and waves. Women speak quickly and loudly. Men walk quickly and firmly. It is not a rush, a rush, nor a chase or a push. Rather, the life of the sandbank has formed a rhythm from time immemorial: at 4am, the sandbank is bustling with people, by 8am it is quiet, the shops are closed. On the sandbank, there are only basket boats lying alone under the blazing sun. The hotter the sun, the stronger the wind. Dozens of roofs bend low to “avoid” the sea breeze blowing sand waves across.

Traveling to Ke Ga beach, you will feel happiness, traveling is enjoying material and spiritual things; eating and drinking delicious and healthy food; enjoying beautiful and strange scenery; breathing clean air; getting to know the gentle and honest people of your homeland's sea. Surely you will be like me, when waving goodbye to Ke Ga, you will feel happy and look forward to returning.

Personally, I love watching the lively, lovely expressions on the faces of the sellers and buyers of delicious fresh fish; watching the movement of soft, wet coins, imbued with the salty taste of the sea, changing hands. Those are the strongest, most attractive life currents that urge the flow of life to forever move forward.

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