China Beach

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From Hue we drove south to Hoi An along the coast passing through Danang. There are some lovely beaches, including My Khe, nicknamed China Beach by U.S. soldiers who landed in the seaport of Danang.

The Garden Palm Resort, where we spent two days, backed onto a beach and we had a pleasant dip in the East Sea, perhaps better known as the South China Sea but the Vietnamese don't use that name, especially with the current friction there between China, Vietnam, and the other countries who have coastlines along the East Sea.

One morning we went on a fisherman's eco tour and saw a traditional husband and wife team fishing from their small boat. The woman steered the boat while the man cast their net, something we were later able to try our hand at on the safety of a beach. It's not as easy as it looks and I would imagine that after casting and recasting for 12 hours a day the 70-year-old couple would be pretty tired. We were told they would keep the smallest fish, shrimp, and crabs for themselves and sell the rest to the fish market, possibly making about $10/day. Unfortunately, scooping up even the tiniest of fish severely depletes the marine life in the sea, which is presumably why China is trying to insist on a fishing ban. Of course the other countries along the East Sea Shores don't see why China should be able to dictate what goes on in their coastal waters.



We also visited a fishing village and Keith had a go at paddling one of their round basket boats made from bamboo and sealed with a mixture of tar and buffalo dung. At first we went in circles, but Keith soon got the hang of it.

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Photos

Lang Co beach
A great coastal drive from Hue to Danang

My Khe
China beach to some

Lanterns
Locally made

Eco fishing tour
The caught only minnows, but the were planning to keep them

Bamboo boat
Keith could not resisting racing with the others

Casting a fishing net
Keith in training for a new career.

Seafood lunch
Cooked on the engine!