Jess, the backpacking lady from the UK, told me of her trip to Cai Beo Fishing Village, the oldest in Vietnam. From our hotel, she walked to the port and picked a guide/boatman to take her around.
I decided to do the same.
Reaching the port, I approached a lady with her face and body fully covered. She must have been working under the sun.
With the little Vietnamese I know, I told her that I want to see the fishing village using THAT boat. I pointed at an old vessel anchored to a thick pole beside me. My guess is this lady works for the nearby building and I found her on break.
She can drive the boat herself for an hour for 100K VND. I hopped on the boat and off we went to see the village.
Around Cai Beo Fishing Village with a slight drizzle
Cai Beo Dogs
There was a light drizzle that morning. I watched the tiny raindrops make tiny ripples on the sea.
As we pushed away from the fort, I noticed the dogs proudly looking out from their 'balconies'.
While dogs are already fascinating in themselves, these dogs in Cai Beo appeared comfortable in their habitat. They know exactly where to go, how to take naps in uneven ground.
Two of them hopped into my boat, played for a few seconds and hopped off.
A certified Cai Beo dog
The families in Cai Beo rely mostly on fish farming. They go around the 'neighborhood' by boat and purchase goods from a floating market, dogs walk on poles tied together, and they grow hanging gardens.
Travel is about curiosity
While on the boat, I was tempted to imagine a life in this village.
What would it be like to live in a place where, if you fall down your front door, you could possibly drown?
What would it be like to rely on an income based on how profitable your produce is for that season?
How would it feel like if you don't have all the conveniences a city offers like roads, cars, and cafes?
Marcia DeSanctis said in her book "A Hard Place To Leave",
Travel is ultimately about curiosity. Like love, curiosity is an engine that can change fate and move the tides.
Read more about Cai Beo's history here.
My blog post about writing while traveling is here. You can get a copy of my poems on travel here.