New journey after the war
In 1984, the Tay boy - Nguyen Van Cay, who was just 19 years old at that time, volunteered to join the army and fight at the Vi Xuyen border front. After many fierce battles, in 1987 he was demobilized and returned to his hometown to start a family. From here, a new journey began for Uncle Ho's soldier.
Being a soldier who was not afraid of hardships and difficulties, he did all kinds of jobs to support his family. From growing rice and corn to raising pigs, chickens, buffaloes, cows and doing many other jobs during the off-season, but the family's economy was still not good. More than a decade ago, when his hometown began to attract attention from tourists who came to explore the local culture, he realized the opportunity to change his life from his own poor land.
In 2015, with a small amount of savings, Mr. Cay renovated his family's traditional stilt house, keeping the original local architecture but making it clean. He learned how to welcome guests, serve traditional meals, and tell stories about ethnic culture and wartime to attract tourists.
Mr. Cay shared: In the early days of tourism , with little capital, I only bought 2 folding mattresses and blankets and mosquito nets to spread on the stilt house to serve guests. Then, gradually more and more guests came to visit, not enough accommodation, so I borrowed more to invest in developing a homestay with a scale of 25 - 30 accommodation/night. I also connected with other households in the village to develop community tourism together.
Just like that, Cay'Homestay gradually became a favorite destination because of its simplicity, rusticity and hospitality. Tourists come not only to rest but also to listen to stories about indigenous culture, about a fierce border war through the stories of old soldiers.
The soldier never gives up
When deciding to start a homestay business, Mr. Cay not only encountered difficulties due to lack of capital and experience, but also faced doubts from those around him, even from his family members. “At first, no one believed I could do it. Some said I was old, so I should rest. Others said, if I don’t know a foreign language, Western guests won’t stay,” Mr. Cay said with a gentle smile.
In the early days, the number of visitors was very low, the whole month's income was not enough to deduct expenses, there was almost no profit. Once, a group of guests booked a trip and then canceled at the last minute, looking at everything that was prepared, from clean accommodation to a decent meal, Mr. Cay just sighed quietly, not blaming anyone and not daring to complain to his wife and children.
But he still persisted with his choice, actively participated in training courses, learned how to welcome guests, and introduced cuisine. Every time a group of guests came, he asked for advice to gain experience. He started from the smallest things, learned how to clean the room, learned to cook national dishes to suit the taste of tourists, and then practiced how to talk naturally and friendly. These small but sure steps have helped Cay'Homestay attract more and more guests.
In 2020, when the number of visitors stabilized, the Covid-19 pandemic broke out. Without tourists, the homestay became deserted, for 3 years he had no income from tourism, returning to rice, corn, pigs and chickens. The flower beds in the yard were still blooming, the bamboo behind the alley was still growing tall, but his heart sank, but in that difficulty, Mr. Cay did not give up.
“I have been through bombs and bullets, there is nothing I cannot overcome” - he consoled himself and continued to clean each room, wipe each window frame, and take care of each flower bed. The pandemic passed, and guests visited the homestay again. They were happy to see that the homestay was still clean, the garden was still green, and Mr. Cay still sat on the porch of the stilt house telling stories as if he had never been absent. Laughter echoed in the yard again, the fire was warm again, and meals rich in wild vegetables and stream fish attracted visitors from afar.
In order to develop sustainable tourism in an environmentally friendly direction, Mr. Cay continues to renovate the homestay, diligently erecting each bamboo pillar and each plank every day, saving up from his savings and the passion of an old soldier who wants to preserve the soul of the countryside in the midst of modern life.
A few years later, on that land, small, pretty bamboo bungalows, rustic and sophisticated, have sprung up. He also renovated the fish pond, built an outdoor swimming pool, planted more flowers and ornamental plants around, making the space of Cay'Homestay even more spacious and green. With a price of 600,000 VND/room/night, the bungalows attract a large number of international tourists, contributing to increasing the family's income. On average, each year, his family welcomes over 1,000 visitors, with an income of over 200 million VND from tourism. The homestay also creates seasonal jobs for 3-5 local workers during peak tourist seasons.
From having only a few guests a month, his homestay is now always full on holidays, weekends, and during the rice harvest season. Since then, he has started sharing his experience with the villagers. A few households have boldly followed suit, making Tha village awaken to realize that tourism is not only for the city or the blue sea, but can start from the stilt house, from a meal with simple wild vegetables and stream fish of the highlands.
“Visitors here do not need air conditioning or television. They need a meal with the aroma of a wood stove, need to hear the rooster crowing in the morning, see children playing on the village road, and smell the scent of young rice mixed with the scent of the wind. I keep those things and encourage people to work together to preserve the identity of our people. Preserving the soul of the village and preserving the national culture is the core of long-term tourism,” Mr. Cay added.
From an old stilt house, through the difficult early days of starting a business and the tiring days due to the pandemic, Cay'Homestay is now not only a place for tourists to rest but also a living testament to the spirit of "Uncle Ho's soldiers" in peacetime - always resilient, creative and never giving up.
Source: https://baolaocai.vn/cayhomestay-cua-cuu-chien-binh-post649422.html
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