Guiding how to make A Quat cakes
This place is only 3km away from the center of A Luoi district to the North East, and there is a waterfall called A Nôr with an area of over 10ha, being covered with cloud all year round.
Our first challenge was to take part in a game of pounding rice with a pestle and a wooden mortar, which is a preserved typical daily activity of Pa Co people in A Luoi. While the young men used the strength of their muscles to pound rice, the girls made A Quat cakes with skillful hands under the guidance of the Pa Co mothers and sisters. This is a typical cake of the Pa Co people, which is only presented at the banquet during important days.
After completing the challenges, visitors gradually moved to A Nôr waterfall including three continuous waterfalls, with 8m, 60m, and 120m high respectively, as the bobbing hair of young girls from mountainous areas.
When visiting here, tourists would take part in the catching-stream-fish challenge, which requires a bit of dexterity and luck as well.
The achievement of the game was the aromatic grilled stream fish dish served with typical salt of A Luoi forest. Picking a piece of flavored and appetizing fish, dipped in a little spicy and salty salt, and then take a sip of cool beer naturally refrigerated in the fresh spring water; thereby, you would feel like you could taste the heaven and earth blending among the immense mountains and forests...
Tourists experiencing pounding rice
After completing the challenges of discovering, experiencing, and achieving feats, visitors had fun and soaked themselves in the cool and crystal-clear water of A Nôr. Here, the female tourists were shampooed with precious herbs by grandmas, mothers, and sisters from the Pa Co ethnic group, which they had probably never had a chance to try before.
“This is the first time I come to A Luoi and have the opportunity to participate in pounding rice - an activity I often watch on TV, make traditional cakes, and explore unspoiled and majestic nature... There are still so many places in Vietnam for me to visit and experience. And the today experience was so interesting,” shared Mr. Nguyen Minh Thanh, a member of the tourist group.
As night came, by the flaming fire, visitors exchanged with local ethnic people, sipped cups of strongly aromatic wine while immersing in the bustling Ra Zooc dance, blending with the drums, gongs, the sound of khene, and the warm Câr-lơi music.
During the joyful dance, the guests and locals all held hands in hands with laughter, and the night seemed to last eternally until the guests felt tired. We later returned to new and clean homestays on tall stilts.
The dawn welcomed cool breezes from every direction; the atmosphere was serene, and birds were chirping. The journey ended after a breakfast with a mountainous flavor: rice porridge called “Ta Luc Ta Lao” gruel. Coming back to the city, we were full of strong impressions of the mountainous region.
Mr. Nguyen Ngoc An, Director of Hue Connection Travel Co., Ltd. - the tour organizing company, said that if tourists have demand, the enterprise can organize more tours with the journey being extended for tourists to stay longer in A Luoi and to discover more intriguing things.
Story, photos: Quang Sang