I came back to Vung Ro on February 16, the day that a historical event caused a stir from Saigon to the Pentagon 44 years ago.

Vung Ro was historically known as the very important port for shipping weapons from the North to the South in the war against the U.S. From November 1964 to February 1965, Vung Ro, an isolated bay on the rocky coast, received four unnumbered ships.

However, on February 16, 1965 Vung Ro entered the history books because of a particular incident; a U.S. Army officer flying his helicopter along the coast of south-central Vietnam spotted a large, camouflaged vessel perpendicular to the shore. Cargo was being unloaded and stacked on the beach. To keep the cache a secret, the north Vietnam army capsized and sank the ship.

As I left the coastal city of Nha Trang heading northward on National Road 1A for Phu Yen Province, the imposing landscapes along the road with the mountains and the sea were dazzling. Ca Pass looked like a hand on the Truong Son mountain range.

A little past the top of Ca Pass we turned into the valley on a winding mountain road, heading to Vung Ro Hamlet, located in Hoa Xuan Nam Commune, Dong Hoa District, Phu Yen Province. This was the first fishing village built in 1979 by a farmer named Chau Dinh Khang who brought his family of 11 children to set up business here.

When the car stopped on the hilltop one of us shouted "The sea, oh my God." The clear blue water of the sea appeared peaceful, enticing us to soak in the cool waves and to play in the waves among the endless white sponges. As we rushed down, our shrieks drowned out the sound of the sea.

Recognized as a historical landscape, Vung Ro Bay is not also endowed with a magnificent landscape of mountain, forest and sea, but is also home to diverse flora and fauna as well as seafood.

Under the sunlight of dawn, Vung Ro Bay emerges as an immense green round plate, with Ca Mountain in the south, Da Bia Mountain in the west and Hon Ba Mountain in the north. Vung Ro Port, which is so deep that can receive ships weighing more than 10,000 tons, is linked to Van Phong Bay by a narrow seaport. Vung Ro Hamlet is also a key port.

From here, tourists can go to the pristine and endlessly fascinating Mon Beach, nestled at the foot of Mui Dien (Dien Cape). The arcshaped beach, which is surrounded by boulders and hills, has captured the attention of travelers who love to swim in turquoise waters and lie on white sandy beaches.

It was four years since my last visit to Vung Ro. There are many changes, it was a deserted land but today it is a peaceful village with hundreds of households. Many deluxe resorts have been built in Tuy Hoa City, but Vung Ro remains peaceful and pristine.
 
(Source: SGT)