From the mountains to the sea

      The ancient, weathered rocks at the resort on Tam Island are a long way from home.
Their permanent exile in Nha Trang Bay is because of a group of rock hunters, a curious breed that emerged in response to the growing demand for decorative stones to entertain tourists.
The stomping ground of the rock hunters is the Central Highlands, where rivers and brooks in uncountable numbers wind their way through the mountains.
Phu Yen Province is their favorite source of limestone, granite and other rocks that can fetch tens of millions of dong apiece.
Song Hinh Commune in Phu Yen is the focus of their gathering, particularly since construction of the huge Song Hinh hydroelectric dam unearthed magnificent rocks of all shapes and sizes.
The rock hunters say there are also masses of large stones around the Ede villages of Du and Ma Voi, 100 kilometers from Song Hinh. Another “home of stone” is the Ba Ha River.
What to some people might look like an ordinary rock of flickering interest can be seen for its true value only by a rock hunter with a careful appraising eye.
In fact, it’s not uncommon for even an experienced hunter to miss a rock that one of his rivals will swoop on without hesitation.
It has something to do with the right stone waiting for the right owner, like celestially guided matchmaking in a way. The rock hunters call it destiny.
Of course it all boils down to money. A story is told of Nguyen Dinh Vuong of Song Hinh Commune, who haggled and haggled over a 70-kilogram rock the same number of centimeters tall and with a natural outline of Vietnam on one side.
He ended up paying nearly VND100 million (US$5,618.77) for a lump of stone.
The rock hunters get plenty of business from the rock collectors of Luong Son Commune in Nha Trang.
Indeed, it was the latter group who supplied the rocks from Song Hinh that now decorate the grounds of Tam Island Resort and bear small plaques telling briefly of their origin and recent history.
The negotiations to house the rocks on Tam Island were handled by Doan Van Trang, general director of the Hon Tam-Bien Nha Trang Joint Stock Company.
It’s his company that is transforming the tiny island 7 kilometers southeast of Nha Trang Town into a four-star resort. Some of the $35 million project was opened to customers early this year.