The village sustains itself largely on lobster fishing. At night the sea is a wonderland of small lights as far as the eye can see as the locals set up their lobster traps for all night fishing. They have developed an ingenious method of connecting a boat generator with house wiring connected under the sea to a network of lobster rigs which house the lights. The lights act as a lure to baby lobsters which are trapped in wooden pots and then later on sold to lobster farms for maturing.
All day you can see the local fishermen, mostly young guys, paddling to and from their master boats to check their pots. They use woven bamboo round boats, paddling a wooden oar in a figure 8 motion. I defy anybody to master this technique in under a year! Although Huw tells of a very large Hungarian guest at Haven who had a go - much to the delight of the locals no doubt - and managed after an hour or so to stop going round in circles.
You can't help but feel at home as soon as you get to Haven. Rosie and Huw have put together a place with some great touches with a lovely blend of Vietnamese and Western influences, while taking advantage of an open air, beach resort feel as well. But the big thing that really matters is their personal warmth and commitment to the place you sense straight away, as well as living with the local Vientamese community.
Harper has bonded with 'Haven' the local puppy and after, once again, being the source of too much local attention has started to settle really well. He absolutely loves the beach and on his first day managed six swims.
We've had some great food already with breakfast and dinner included in our stay. Two locals help with the cooking and do a marvellous job under the watchful eye of Rosie. The food is mainly Vietnamese but with some lovely western touches or variations. We'll sleep well tonight after a big day on the beach and recovering from yesterday's long haul.
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