Buzz
Bau Sen resembles a secluded world.
A secluded world
Bau, in local parlance, refers to a lake or a water-filled depression. Bau Sen is not too far from the residential area, just 2km from the coastline, about 10km from Bau Trang via road, and only about 1km from the nearest household.
The location of Bau Sen is marked in red on the map - Photo taken from Google Maps
After the welcoming committee of house-guarding dogs, I ventured into the first house, encountering the children and the woman of the family. Inquiring about the residents here, I was informed that this place is called Bau Sen because lotuses are grown here. The reason is as simple and pure as they are!
The view of Bau Sen from the sand dune before the lake, surrounded entirely by sand.
Across a vast expanse, yet only four families within one lineage live together. A secluded world from the outside, surrounded by endless sand dunes stretching deep into the horizon. Isolated by natural conditions, there is no electricity here, reaching the shore of the lake, phone signal drops to zero. And so, my phone now serves only to capture scenes that surely captivate anyone who sets foot here.
Life is filled with hardships...
Isolation from the outside world makes life here increasingly challenging. Husbands work far from home or take on jobs in nearby residential areas. Children in primary and secondary school are encouraged by their parents to study, but once they are a bit older, they drop out to work and support their families, hardly any of them get to attend high school. Women and the elderly stay at home to take care of the young ones and make a living through farming and animal husbandry. It is thanks to this that the vast sand dunes are covered in greenery, bringing life to the barren desert, making this place resemble an oasis in other remote and arid regions of the world.
Farming is one of the main livelihoods here.
Farming - one of the main livelihoods here
Not too far from the residential area, yet even electricity, a vital necessity of life, is something the people here cannot afford to bring in. No electricity means many things: no lighting, no fans in harsh weather conditions, no phones,... Life becomes even more challenging.
Raising livestock, poultry
Speaking of their life aspirations, the mothers here ponder deeply, wishing for the means to provide their children with a decent education. A desire that may seem small to many families, but burns fiercely and intensely.
... But tranquility even in every breath
Here, amidst the sounds of motorcycles, cars from neighboring areas, and the playful chatter of children, I am left only with the calls of animals, the rustling of trees in the wind. The space is completely silent.
Thanks to its seclusion, few people know about this place. Apart from the residents of the lake, there are occasional visitors, who according to the hosts, are people from the district who come back on weekends for fishing and entertainment. Or occasionally, a few foreign guests are led by Vietnamese people to visit. Thus, this place still retains its purest essence.
Outside of school hours, the children stay at home and play with makeshift objects like this
Very few people come by, so the children are extremely excited and happy when they have 'guests' like me. Remembering the few biscuits in my backpack, I gave some to the kids, watching them eat happily, feeling like my small treats, when placed in the right place, become extremely valuable.
The angels of Bau
The children are also sent to school by their parents, so they learn to read and write. Besides school time, the remaining time for the children is spent at home. With little contact with the outside world, the children are incredibly innocent, naive, and pure.
If there's a chance to camp overnight here, it would be really interesting, I thought to myself. Before leaving, I asked the host lady: ma'am, if I come back tomorrow, can I stay overnight? With her sincerity, of course, the answer I received was yes, accompanied by a very warm smile.
I bid everyone farewell and continue my journey, my heart suddenly ponders, the name Bau Sen faintly embodies the characteristics of the people here: simple, genuine, hardworking, and enduring hardship.
Some notes for you:
Author: Nguyen Van Huynh
*Article participating in the Mytour Golocal program
Mytour Golocal is a blog writing program introducing beautiful destinations across Vietnam, within the framework of the Mytour Go & Share program. This is a great opportunity to promote local tourism to everyone. For each article meeting the requirements, you will receive 800,000 VND and the opportunity to become a Contributor with Mytour. For detailed information about the program, see: https://trv.lk/golocal
