Interlude

On the way to Vietnam we had a six hour layover in Japan's Narita Airport.  While Tokyo is about an hour away by train, Narita town is only one stop away.  Though small, Narita boasts a surprisingly large temple and garden complex which is free to visit and within walking distance of the train station.  Before taking a stroll through the gardens, Tara and I stopped for a lunch of grilled freshwater eel, a summertime favorite in Japan.  While perusing the menu I was very interested to see koi arashi, a carp sashimi dish.  I had heard of carp sashimi but never tried it.  In fact, I have only eaten carp once before, and never raw.
The thinly sliced fish came with a few crisp vegetables, served on top of ice to keep it cool in the summer heat.  Alongside was a tangy ginger and sesame dipping sauce.  The meat was firm with a mild flavor and overall quite delicious.  I asked the old man who prepared the fish if it had been caught nearby but he did not think so, "from the mountains" he replied.  Wherever it was from, I certainly enjoyed it.

The Kracken

Tara and I just got home from a trip to Vietnam.  It was my first proper vacation since visiting Korea last year.  We landed in Hanoi and drove north to beautiful Ha Long Bay for a two night cruise aboard the Paradise Luxury 4.

After dinner activities involved (more) drinking, a movie screening, sleep, or ... squid fishing!!!  I don't know why no one else found the last option irresistible but among the dozen or so passengers Tara and I were the only takers.  After dark the crew plugged in a large spotlight on the aft deck.  The bright light presumably attracted zooplankton which in turn attracted numerous small fish, including some very active flying fish.

The small fish attracted pods of elusive squid that would periodically dart through the glow of the light and then disappear again in the darkness.  There were several handpoles available, each with a bright-colored, weighted jig about two inches long.  Instead of hooks, the jigs had a dozen bent wire prongs on the bottom.  We stood on the deck and rhythmically jigged the lures up and down.  The squid hit just like fish but when removed from the water they sprayed ink everywhere.  The trick was to keep them at rods length while they expended the black goo without letting them wiggle free and escape back into the depths.

The unlucky cephalapods that were brought to hand were placed in a bucket with the rest of the nights catch (while all the guests were occupied with dinner it appeared that the crew had taken the opportunity to relax and catch some squid themselves).  I was disappointed that fresh squid did not appear on our menu the next day but I am certain that the crew must have enjoyed them thoroughly.

A squid boat at anchor. Note the row of large light bulbs hanging over the cabin. The bulbs are lit at night to attract squid.