Rambling, in the resort next to the old lighthouse

Ke Ga Cape is located about 30 km from the center of Phan Thiet city, Binh Thuan province. This place is not a popular choice for tourists when coming to Binh Thuan because it is quite remote and lacks amenities; but it will be an attractive destination for those who love the quiet and the old, history. Here, standing proudly on the rocks on the sea, is Ke Ga lighthouse - the oldest lighthouse in Vietnam.

Standing 65m high and operating since 1900, this is also the tallest and oldest lighthouse in Southeast Asia. Azerai Ke Ga Bay, where we stayed in Ke Ga, is also the only 5-star resort with a full view of this lighthouse.

***

The bartender blushed.

5 pm, cloudy

- Can you pick me a strong cocktail?

- I want this mocktail, blended with a shot of Vodka.

The waiter seemed a little confused by the request of the only two customers in the lounge. We were also confused when we realized he was not a (professional) bartender.

- If you want something “heavy”, why not have a Long Island Iced Tea? - the waiter suggested to V, my boyfriend. - As for your order… I'm afraid adding Vodka will make it hard to drink.

- But…

- Okay, you two wait a moment, I'll call the bartender.

We sat silently looking at each other waiting. Our plans for a “sunset afternoon” were ruined. Outside it looked like it was about to rain, and inside the lounge the atmosphere was equally awkward.

After 2 minutes, the bartender appeared. A guy around 30 years old, with a reserved and gentle appearance. What especially caught our attention about him were his rosy cheeks and his mouth that always had a smile. He looked like a drunk person. Immediately, the two of us looked at each other happily: this was all we needed for a drink - the kind of intoxicating, ecstatic spirit that not every bartender had!

The bartender cheerfully took our order—a Mai Tai for V and a mocktail with alcohol for me—and retreated to the bar. As soon as he disappeared, a new stage appeared outside the glass doors: a herd of cows proudly passing by, followed by a sunset stretching across the beach.

The two of us forgot our drinks and rushed out to where the herd of cows was slowly marching. There were only two villagers in command, the rest of the herd followed in a row, easily fifty cows. At the end of the line were a few playful calves, who would stop for a while to enjoy the sunset, until they realized they had left their herd too far behind, and then they galloped off.

Somewhere in the sky, the gray clouds were still there - "threatening" the upcoming rainy days. But regardless, the stage before our eyes was only the sunset. Not as glorious as the sunny days, but majestic.Peopleradiating enough to make us take off our hats to admire. Just like that,Peopletake away the time of the moment, leaving us in the sand, motionless, immersed.

"Oh no, drinks!" - I suddenly woke up and remembered another reality I had forgotten in the lounge. I was about to turn around when I saw two staff standing in the distance, who had been following us for a while. One was holding a drink, the other was holding a complimentary food. When they caught our hurried gaze, they both burst out laughing and brought the drinks closer. All communication took place entirely through eyes.

And so we had the perfect "sunset" as imagined in every romantic story. And the two drinks? There was nothing to complain about, no memories to compare. It was a gift from the sea, from the resort, from the gentle people here; we accepted and enjoyed the wine with gratitude, fully on the tip of the tongue, permeating all the senses.

Turning around and finding the bartender still standing in the distance waiting, the two of us bowed slightly and grinned, instead of saying "It's delicious, thank you". The bartender was just waiting for that to respond with his usual drunken smile.

***

The girl's eyes sparkled

7pm, drizzling rain

On Tuesday, the place seemed deserted except for the two of us. (Who goes to the beach on a rainy day at the beginning of the week?...). This was also the second evening we dined at the resort restaurant. This time it was more enjoyable, with the resort manager joining us.

We chose an outdoor table, closest to the sea. The beach was now pitch black, with the occasional roll of waves, shimmering like velvet. The main attraction lay to the east, where the lighthouse leisurely cast a sparkling pearl into the black sky.

- You look like an artist, don't you? - the girl looked at me, hesitantly opening her mouth after the greeting.

- Oh, he looks more like an artist! - she continued to exclaim when she caught a glimpse of V from afar approaching the table.

Just those two sentences and I immediately forgot who was sitting across from me; I only knew that in front of me was a young girl; from her hair to her figure and face, every feature was fragile and agile.

Dinner mainly revolved around the girl. V and I took turns asking her questions, like people greedily exploring the life of a local. She grew up in Phan Thiet, went to Saigon for a long time to study at university and work. She also worked in the Hospitality industry in the city, now she returned here, her hometown.

- Life in Ke Ga is probably very different from Saigon, right?

- Yes, in Saigon it's bustling, in Azerai... every day is the same.

- But I'm only in my twenties - V interrupted - Is it too early to choose a peaceful life at this age?

The girl was silent.

In the moment of hesitant "questioning", I suddenly realized the complete contrast between the three people at the table. V and I - the more "worn out" ones, always praised the nomadic life; this young girl gave up that very lifestyle to choose a slow, steady pace.

- Living like this… are you happy?

- Yes!

The girl replied with a smile. V leaned out to the sea, not commenting further. And I suddenly thought of the times when my friends said, "You're so happy these days!" - "How do you know?" - "Because your eyes sparkle!".

Never having seen the "sparkle" in my eyes when I looked in the mirror, I wondered if it was just an illusion that my friends imagined. But now, right at this moment, I witnessed it.twinkleA light flashed across the girl's eyes when she heard the word "happiness".

With that evidence, how can we doubt?

Far away behind the girl, the lighthouse still diligently emitted its pearly light. However, now I am not sure which light is more vivid, the old lighthouse or the young girl's eyes.

***

"Where are the souls of those from a thousand years ago now?"

7am, the weather cleared up

We will check out of the resort at 12 noon today. After two days of rain and wind stuck here, this morning the storm has passed and the sun is shining, in the end, the two of us still decided to… spend our last time here.

The first person we asked to meet was the Assistant Chef, who was in charge of the restaurants in the resort and was also the one who directly prepared our meals. Usually, meeting guests was the job of the Head Chef, but the Head Chef had been absent for the past few days, so the Assistant Chef - doing this for the first time - became confused and a bit shy.

After much persuasion, he finally agreed to sit down with us (instead of standing like a waiter), and it took him a while before he started to comfortably tell the story of his career. It turned out he had been a chef here sincethe old days- when Azerai had not appeared yet and this place was still the Princess D'Annam resort.

While V expressed his gratitude for the delicious food he cooked, I was busy eating the banana cakes (which were insanely delicious) on the table and paying attention to what was happening around me. The fact that the Sous Chef was sitting with the guests seemed to be an unprecedented “phenomenon”, the staff stood from afar watching the three of us with curiosity and interest. Some of them giggled, some of them gave the Sous Chef a “be confident!” look, and one of them brought a glass of water to the table to offer him. The Sous Chef, who was chatting, suddenly stopped, looked down at the glass of water, then looked up and smiled honestly:“You were offered water too?”.

The second person we accidentally met on the way from the restaurant to our room was the garden manager. V was fascinated by every bush here, so meeting this character, V was as happy as if he had found gold.

When we saw him, he had just finished his morning gardening work. After listening to our explanation and "begging", he immediately agreed to organize a Garden Tour for the two of us; from one garden to another, interwoven with the story of each tree was his story. Like the Sous Chef, he was also a person who had been attached to this resort since the old days, all the old trees in the resort were the ones he knew best. Or even with the new trees that Azerai brought in later, he also found a way to communicate and understand them.

The Garden Tour ended when he led us into an “internal” garden, where hundreds of small seedlings were neatly arranged next to each other, being cared for by him, waiting for a new generation to grow up every day.

At 11am, on the way to the beach, we met Ms. Tu in the lobby of the restaurant area; she was the last person we talked to before leaving.

Ms. Tu (I peeked at the name tag pinned to her shirt), the restaurant manager, was also someone who had worked here since the Princess D'Annam era. We had no intention of meeting her, just passing by, saying hello, and then "were" stopped by her to be asked questions with great enthusiasm and care.

What time will the car pick you up?

- 30 more minutes

- Have you had lunch yet?

- Not yet.

- So... - Ms. Tu decided in a moment - should I give you two a gift?

- ...Yes?

- Here's a glass of water for you two as a farewell gift. It will be helpful for the upcoming journey.

So we all sat together in the Terrace, waiting for the Farewell gift from the person we met for the first time.

When bringing out two glasses of water, Ms. Tu introduced them one by one: one glass of strawberries, lemongrass, basil leaves..., one glass of orange, chrysanthemum, mint leaves... According to her, both glasses have the effect of increasing alertness, stabilizing blood pressure, and will help us continue traveling long distances by car without getting tired.

But the kindness I speak of is not there, in two glasses of water.nameless.I found kindness in Tu when she showed us about her... vegetable garden. It is a small garden of only about 8 square meters, located in the sun and wind near the swimming pool and beach area. There, Tu planted a little bit of everything, "Lemongrass, mint leaves, basil leaves, lemon... in your two glasses of water, are all ingredients harvested from that garden!".

"It's not to provide food for the restaurant, that garden is just for me to try to grow some of the plants I like, now it's enough to make drinks for everyone."

***

Beautiful, but soulful

Not long after the trip, I came across an interview with Adrian Zecha, founder of the Azerai brand. In it, I read this passage:

I want Azerai to be a collection of hotels and resorts that guests will want to return to again and again. To do that, we must first pay attention to the 'hardware' - that is, the architecture and design of the hotel, but more importantly, the 'software' - that is, the staff. They are the ones who carry the soul of the hotel, demonstrate hospitality, provide a friendly environment that makes guests linger.

A beautiful resort may be the reason someone decides to come experience it in the first place, but it's the authenticity and genuine hospitality that keeps them coming back time and time again. […]

How to say? A definitive interview, describing exactly what we felt at Azerai Ke Ga Bay.

Beautiful, but soulful.