I felt so embarrassed when i asked to have a long holiday. Jan and Feb were high season in tourism. More tourist visit Ho Chi Minh city as well as others places of Viet Nam.So that was busy time of the year. so i should stayed at work in stead of stopping working and doing  my dream trip. I think i was the laziest worker at Bi Sai Gon hotel - my work place. I had heaps of offdays because of all occasions : tired (b'coz talked too much), birthday ( of my friends),wedding ( also of my friends), travelling etc. I think my boss was get sick of my reasons. This time, i asked to leave my work about 20 days ( 15th of Jan till 3rd of Feb). I was so excited to prepare for my trip, but i still felt guilty because my colleague had to do my job. He couldn't go out with his daughter while there were heaps of activited were helding for kids. Although i felt so sorry for him but i still sticked on my plan.
My trip wasn't as good as i thought.  Ryan - my fiance- got angry because the bus had gone without me in. He got in trouble with driver because he didn't have ticket when they checked . Of course, i was keeping them. So He tried to explain with the driver while they wanted to kick him out. Poor man! Luckily, Bus came back the office and picked me up there. And Ryan was wet with sweat because of being worry and hot weather.
Arriving Mui Ne about 2:30pm, everybody was so tired. We had a long tiring bus trip. We decided to stay in Mui Ne 2 nights in stead of 1 night as we planned. That would be a smart decision. We had more time to relax and doing sight - seeing tour in Mui Ne.

They have some types of room and the price is vary from 12.00 USD up to 30.00 or 35.00 USD ( depends on service you picked)

  I woke late but felt refreshed so didn't feel bad about sleeping past breakfast. Once up we headed away from the main hotels and bars and walked to the picturesque fishing village about 3km away. I was starving but managed to wait till we got back to the hotel for food. It turned out that the hotels restaurant was affiliated to the restaurant we went to a couple of weeks ago in Ho Chi Minh. Thankfully the standard of the food was equally good. Despite the high winds causing the sea to be dreadfully rough we ventured in. It took all your effort just to remain in the vicinity of the hotel so we decided to walk a few km along the beach and just let the sea bring us back.

  As we headed out for dinner in the evening we bumped into Emma, Katie & Sam who had come up for one night. My was really shy so we didn't stay with them long. We struck lucky with our choice of restaurant as I had the best meal of my trip so far. I ordered the biggest piece of Seabass you have ever seen and it came in a heavenly lemon & herb sauce. I'm sure My does it just to mess with the waitress' but she ordered a cheeseburger which when the food came was unsurprisingly plonked in front of me! We finished of a nice evening with a few cocktails and some games of pool.

My had the weekend of work so I had invited her along with me to Mui Ne as she had never been before. We met early to catch the first bus there and maximise our time. The bus turned out to be quite luxurious, I was able to stretch out fully. Despite being tired I was too engrossed in my book to sleep. My was a bit travel sick so i gave her my i-pod and she hid away under the complementary blanket for the entire 6 hours. Not knowing for sure until the last minute whether My was coming or not I hadn't booked anywhere to stay but was new this would not be a problem. Neither of us could be bothered dragging our bags from one hotel to another so when first hotel we tried had a free twin room over looking the sea for a reasonable price we took it.

  We spent the majority of the afternoon just relaxing on the beach and trying to turn my t-shirt tan into an all over one. I remembered Mui ne being quiet, that was part of the charm but this time it seemed too quiet. I put it down to the imminent close of the tourist season but was puzzled no the less. We had a lovely evening meal not far from the hotel and a welcome early night.

Na een eerste mooie dag in Saigon hadden we al veel gezien  van de stad. Maar bij lange na niet hadden we alles gezien. De tweede dag gingen we dan ook weer de motorrijders opzoeken en sprongen weer achterop om een toer door de stad te maken. Alle hoogtepunten hebben we wel gezien, van het oorlogsmuseum tot een kerk, een onafhankelijkheidsgebouw en zelfs weer een met wierook gevulde tempel. De dag was erg leuk en hebben veel kunnen zien van Saigon.

De derde dag was eigenlijk nog beter. We reden met de motor urenlang om bij de Mekong te komen. Hier moesten we nog flink onderhandelen om tot een redelijke prijs te komen voor een boottocht. Na veel pijn en moeite sprongen we dan toch in de boot waar alleen David en ik in zaten. Gelukkig gingen onze taxichauffeurs ook in de boot zitten. De rivier was erg wild, het bootje maakte dan ook veel klappen in het water. Na een tijdje varen kwamen we aan in een dorp. Hier kregen we honing thee te drinken met allerlei zelf gemaakte snackjes. Er werd demonstratief laten zien waar de honing vandaan kwam, een lokaal jochie lied als imker zien hoe een bijenkorf in elkaar steekt (met blote handen!!) Na dit dorp liepen we een stukje verder waar we met een klein roeibootje over een zijtak van de mekong gingen. Alle bamboe- en palmbomen en dicht struikgewas maakte dit echt tot een plaatje. Met dit bootje kwamen we weer uit bij de grote boot waar we naar het volgende dorpje gingen. Hier maakten ze allerlei dingen van kokos. Zo waren er kokossnoepjes die met de hand werden gebrouwen en ingepakt. Ook maakten ze diverse beeldjes en voorwerpen van de kokosnoot en -boom. Na dit alles kwamen we uit in een ander dorp waar we zouden lunchen. Ik mocht een grote wurgslang uit de kooi halen en op mijn schouders als ik wou. Als een held op sokken had ik dat dan ook maar gedaan, wat een zwaar beest zeg! De lunch was wel erg apart, in een zak zaten een paar slangen die ze voor ons wouden slachten. Na lang duidelijk proberen te maken begrepen ze dat we hier nou niet echt op zaten te wachten. Ook de levende schilpadden sloegen we maar over, in ene was de eetlust verdwenen....

Na deze heerlijke bootreis gingen we naar Saigon terug. Het was spits, maar het rijgedrag werd er niet minder op. Na de vele doodsangsten te hebben doorstaan kwamen we gelukkig weer aan in de stad vol met drukte en smog. Na een dagje rustig aan gedaan te hebben boekten we de volgende reis, naar Mui Ne. De busreis duurde iets langer dan gepland. Onze bus kreeg onderweg een lekke band en dat vergde enige moeite en tijd om te repareren. Gelukkig konden we na enige tijd weer verder in de ietwat krappe bus. Laat in de middag kwamen we aan in het dorp. Na alle spullen in een hotel te hebben gedumpt liepen we een stukje langs de grote weg vol met kokosnootbomen. Het is hier erg rustig en vredig vergeleken met Ho Chi Minh City. Ook de zee en kustlijn zijn erg mooi om te zien. We liepen naar een bootje toe waar vissers hun netten leegden. Kleine krabjes en visjes waren hun vangst. De lokale kinderen kwamen er ook bij kijken en al snel liepen we mooi te dollen met elkaar. Ze waren erg onder de indruk van onze camera's en zonnebrillen dat dit een leuke funfactor werd. De kids gingen er met David zijn camera vandoor en maakten vele foto's van hun gekke gezichten. Erg leuk!

De volgende dag hebben we een motor gehuurd en een groot stuk gereden door de mooie omgeving. We hadden vele zandduinen gezien en mooie stukken van de kustlijn kunnen bewonderen. Helaas deed de zon ook erg zijn best, je kon duidelijk zien dat ik goed met 2 handen aan het stuur had gereden. De dag hierna besloten we om lekker rustig aan te doen. We gingen lekker zwemmen in de zee, beetje lezen etc. De dag goed doorgekomen. Bij aankomst bij het hotel kregen we voor de zoveelste keer weer veel fruit van de eigenaresse die een grote tuin heeft die rijk is aan diverse vruchtbare bomen. Zo hebben we kokosnoten gehad en vele mango's. Erg lekker!

Morgen vertrekken we weer met de bus naar een volgend oord. Maar de rust in Mui Ne was wel erg aangenaam. Ook de frisse lucht kan een mens goed doen!

Groetjes Erik

  We were all up just in time for the free breakfast at the hotel. My dislike for eggs left me eating noodles, something I still dont appreciate so soon after waking. The hotel kindly booked us a taxi to take a trip of Mui Ne which to my delight turned out to be a really cool old army 4x4! The signs looked ominous however after we broke down only minutes up the road. Thankfully it was only due to lack of petrol and we were on the move again in less than 10 minutes. The first stop was a beautiful fishing village that provided a backdrop for some classic photos. It was then onto the main attraction the white sand dunes. We were pursuaded by the local children at the bottom to rent a sandboard, which was basically a plastic sheet and not a very sturdy one at that. When I did sandboarding in Brazil it was amazing but that was on real boards, this time it was pretty pathetic! It was impossible to get any speed up even when I sprinted and threw myself down head first, luckily it had only coast about 25p! The view from the dunnes was amazing but it was approachng midday and the sand was getting almost to warm to stand on even with flip-flops. A quick stop for some ice-tea and we were back in the jeep, next stop RED sand dunnes! These however were a dissapointment. They looked beautiful but it was impossible to get anywhere near them as the governemnt had errected barbwire fence around the circumfrence. The final stop was at 'fairy stream' where we were able to wander through the stream that ran between the dunnes and take some really good photographs. We were accompanied by come local children who warned us of deep water (by this they meant it came half way up your shin) When we were back at the jeep they demanded for this service 100,000 EACH! Inspite of their small contribution we gave them 100,000 to share.

  Back at the hotel we took advantage of the fact that the sea was practically in our rooms and laid out in the sun and enjoyed lunch with a cold beer. If we wernt relaxed enough Emma, Alex & I decided to treat ourselves to a massage! For the record this was a legitamate one, Adam & I were even in the same room! It was relatively expensive but well worth the 7 pounds. Feeling ultimately relaxed it was back to the hotel for a couple more hours in the sun.

  In the evening we found a nice cocktail bar and played pool whilst drinking Mojitos. Stomachs were soon rumbling so we went in search of food. Almost by accident we stumbled upon a really good restuarant and were even lucky enough to grab a table on the beach. The tide was out but still close enough for me to stand with my feet in the water whilst I waited for my meal. The food lived up to the location, I had some extremley fresh Baracuda fish in chilli & garlic. We ended a great day back at the first bar with some more Mojitos.

Halb 9 wach geworden und als aller erstes ins Meer gehuepft. Nach dem Freuhstueck bin ich gemuetlich Richtung Mui Ne spaziert und hab versucht einen Fahrer zu finden, der wenigstens versteht was ich will. Nachdem der erste 30 $ wollte und der zweite 20000 Dong (1,25 $), ich aber wusste, dass es ungefaehr 6$ kostet, hat das etwas gedauert. Hab mich mit Zuckerrohrsaft ueber Wasser gehalten, bis ich einen gefunden hatte. Der hat mich dann bis zum Weissen See zu den Weissen Duenen gebracht. Da war dann so eine Art Ferienlager mit lauter Blauhemden. Als ich mit der Besichtigung der Duenen fertig war, wurde ich von ein paar Vietnamesen an den Tisch gebeten und mit Bier und Sommerroellchen versorgt. Mittags. War sehr lecker, aber die Leute waren irgendwie merkwuerdig und ich wollte nicht mittgas schon so viel Bier trinken. Ich glaub, die waren ein bisschen sauer als ich gegangen bin.

Anschliessend waren wir im Roten Canyon und bei den Roten Duenen, wo mich ein paar Kinder eine halbe Stunde lang versucht haben zu ueberzuegen, dass ich doch die Duenen runtersliden soll. Ich wollte mir das erstmal anschauen, aber die Kleinen wolltens mir nicht zeigen. Hab dann gegenueber eine Pho eigenommen und hab mich nach einem kurzen Abstecher zum Dorfmarkt und dem Geldautomaten beim Fischerdorf absetzen lassen um von da aus die 7 km bis zum Hotel am Strand lang zu spazieren. Da hab ich dann auch die Beinchen, die ich neulich auf dem Teller hatte an einem Tier entdeckt. :)
Hab Muscheln gesammelt und viele schicke Fotos gemacht. Die gibts aber aus Zeitgruenden erst morgen. Muss noch ein Ticket nach Da Lat buchen und was essen. Hatte zwar schon Tintenfisch, aber die Poirtion war eher mager...

Zurueck im Hotel hab ich das Busticket gebucht und mich zum essen zu Zelma, einer britischen Bewaehrungshelferin, gesellt. Sie war der einzige Gast im Hotelrestaurant und meinte, dass sie spaeter auf die Vollmondparty weiter oestlich am Strand wollte. Da ich keine Plaene hatte, sind wir mit dem Motorradtaxi dahin. Die Party war ein eher gemuetliches Sit-In mit einem winzigen Strandfeuer, dass von etwas uebereifrigen Gaesten versucht wurde mittels verbrennen von Werbebannern der Nachbarkneipen aufzupeppeln. Sehr unangenehm. Noch unangenehmer war der DJ. War trotzdem ganz nett, da ich eine Menge neuer englischer Woerter gelernt habe...auch wenn ich die Nativespeaker am schlechtesten von allen verstehe. Den Rueckweg haben wir zu Fuss bewaeltigt, da die Motorradtaxifahrer deutlich betrunkener waren als wir. Vor dem Schlafen gehen gabs noch eine Pho Bo am 24 h Treffpunkt der Motorradtaxisfahrer.

After the fairly hectic Saigon, we headed north-east and along the coast to Mui Ne, which is a fairly quiet little town about 4 hours by bus from Saigon itself. 

We had a very pleasant hotel with a lovely pool right on the seafront.  It felt more like a "proper holiday" than a "backpacking experience" and the majority of the fairly spartan hostels that we stayed in during our New Zealand trip, which was nice!  There wasn't an awful lot going-on in Mui Ne itself, although we did take a trip out to the White Sand Dunes - which would have been great had it not for Jeremy losing his sunglasses and spending his time having to negotiate them back from the "delightful little children" that were "looking after them" for him!  It cost about 3 pounds to get them back eventually! 

We didn't manage to slide down the pretty big dunes because we ran-out of time however it was probably a blessing as it was extremely hot in the afternoon sun.  People wait by the dunes for hours to catch the wind whipping-up the sand to give a great photograph.  The dunes themselves were very picturesque, very much like the Te Paki dunes we saw in the Northland of New Zealand, only smaller.  Also, it is great for people that are interested in animal cruelty, as the poor monkey chained-up next to the cafe (that had it there purely so it could sell nuts to tourists at inflated prices) testified to that........... Anyone that bought nuts from the cafe to feed the monkey are as bad as those that have chained it up in the first place.

The food in Vietnam has been great. Probably the best "national" cuisine that we have had on our travels so far (along with Peru). 

6:30 klingelt der Wecker. Hab schelcht geschlafen, weil die Bediensteten des Hotels bis morgens um 4 in den Fernseher geguckt haben. Das hat letztendlich dazu gefuehrt, dass niemand wach war um mir meinen Pass zurueck zu geben. Weckversuche meinerseits wurden ignoriert. Irgendwann kam dann ein Vietnamese von oben und hat den zustaendigen Ansprechpartner aus dem Schlaf getreten (sic!).
Der zweite Schock kam, als ich mir sechs Bananen fuer die Fahrt kaufen wollte und die Marktfrau doch tatsaechlich 7000 Dong (ca 30 Cent) dafuer haben wollte. Normalerweise kriegt man die fuer maximal 2000 Dong. Hatte aber keine Zeit zu diskutieren. Im Nachhinein hat sich das alles als Missverstaendins rausgestellt...die 7000 Dong waren fuer den ganzen Haufen (17 Stueck), der da lag und den sie mir auch eingepackt hat. Hab dann erstmal ein paar Bananen verschenkt...

Busfahrt war unspektakulaer. In Mui Ne hab ich den Nachmittag in der Haengematte verbracht und Reisefuehrer gelesen. Als die Sonne nicht mehr so gebrannt hat, hab ich einen Strandspaziergang gemacht. Hab leider meinen Fotoapparat vergessen. Und als die Sonne so gut wie weg war hab ich versucht mich im lauwarmen Meer zu erfrischen.
Auf der Suche nach einer Kneipe in der mehr als zwei Leute sitzen bin ich an diesem Internetcafe vorbei. Hier spielt sich alles an einer langen Strasse ab. Auf der einen Seite ist so gut wie nichts...auf der anderen Seite sind Strand und Hotels. Morgen gehts in die Duenen.

Our journey to Mui Ne was probably our best yet in Vietnam. We booked through a tour company called Sinh Cafe which has offices everywhere we've been and they are definately the most honest and reliable we've come across. The bus was clean and almost new with reclining seats and fully working aircon which is always welcome. Not only that but we were given a goody bag with water, nuts and a handwipe in it. The journey took about four hours and once there we were actually dropped at the agreed place which also happened to be a Sinh cafe owned resort which at USD35 was a bit out of our price range. We decided to have lunch at their restaurant before begining the hunt for a room.

Mui Ne is a bay 10km long, with sandy beach stretching 10km or so from one end to the other. There is a patch in the middle where a concrete sea wall has had to be built to prevent erosion of the palm lined road which runs behind the resorts that cover almost the entire 10km between the beach and the road. Some of the resorts are seriously high end and the fact that the beach is so long makes it very difficult to check out too many places because of the distances involved. After our lunch Steph guarded the bags while Adam did the legwork of room hunting. Having checked out a half dozen places we managed to find a really nice place with a large double room with aircon and a the best shower/bathroom we've had so far for USD20. It was called Minh Tam Resort and has it's own pool and restaurant with breakfast included in the room charge. There are six rabbits that roam freely around the resort grounds. We saw a couple of lizards as well as having our own personal gecko or two in our room (essential for killing the mossies).

It was much hotter here than in Nha Trang and the weather was kinder to us too, we woke up every morning to blue skies and calm waters and as the morning wore on the wind and therefore the waves picked up to give us a nice sea breeze every afternoon. The temperature dropped back most evenings and we were treated to some beautiful cloudless night skies, giving us the opportunity to gaze at the stars and try to spot constellations. One night there was a power cut for about 10 minutes and the stars without the light pollution from the resorts were even more amazing. Recent figures suggest that for the first time in human history the majority of humanity is living in cities. The light pollution cities give off makes the simple act of looking at the stars, as well as hammering home our utter insignificance, impossible for that majority. We can't help feeling the world would be a better place if everyone could see a clear night sky.

We found our new favourite bar on our first night. It's called Pogo and is beautifully set up. There are several hammocks and a couple of the round basket boats typical to Vietnam set up as swing chairs. They have mats out on a sandy area with bean bags and low tables as well as more traditional tables set up for eating and drinkers not yet ready to lounge around. We ended up going several times and the food was excellent on every occassion. We made full use of the happy hour and the youngest looking barman we've ever seen made us some of the best Mojitos we've tasted. The only fly in the ointment was that one night they were having a 'party' and themusic was the most dated house and trance we've ever heard!!

Most mornings after our breakfast we took a stroll down the beach before the sun got too powerful, had a drink at a beach side bar or resort, a swim in the sea then a leisurely stroll back up the beach for a swim in our pool before escaping to the shade. Our afternoons were mostly spent reading and snoozing in the comfort of our air conditioned room before emerging for a beer and a couple of games of backgammon while we watched the sun set.

We're really not big fans of the mopeds that are the staple form of transport here and have steadfastly refused to use the Xe Oms (Motorbike taxis) so far as we've seen far too many westerners with lovely scars and cuts up their legs and arms for our liking. Here in Mui Ne it is so much quieter than the rest of Vietnam that we thought we'd rent a bike for the day and drive out to the sand dunes and Cham towers which are really the only attractions here other than the beach. We got a nice new looking motorbike and off we went feeling but definately not looking like Jack Nicholson and co in Easyrider. We had a really great time and it is something we would definately recommend trying as long as you take it easy.

We might have mentioned in our earlier blogs that a new law requiring the wearing of helmets came into force in Vietnam on 15th December. It seems that the standard of helmet was omitted from the law as Adam's had a non adjustable strap that hung around his chest and Steph's was only just a little thicker than paper. You would have thought as well that they'd have looked at the common practice here of two parents and two kids travelling on the same moped!! Suprisingly or maybe luckily we've only seen a half dozen or so accidents here and no kids have been involved so far but you get the feeling its a matter of time.

Along the 10km+ beautiful coastline of Mui Ne (closer to Mui Ne market than to Phan Thiet), Pogo Cafe really stands out as someplace special. It is a great little bar/cafe/restaurant with delicious and pretty reasonably priced food. It also has an extensive vegetarian/vegan selection (we especially recommend the cabbageflower with garlic, the fried rice with vegetables and tofu and the "powertomatoes", i.e. spaghetti and tomato sauce). The fruit shakes also really hit the spot on a hot and sunny day (both mango and banana, respectively, recommended). From 6pm to 8pm Pogo offers a Happy Hour which only includes a few cocktails (buy one get one free), but lucky for us, we love Mojitos and they were exceptional!!! The music in the evening verges a bit on the "very dated house music variety", but aside from that, it is worth checking out for sure. They have bean bags on the sand for lounging, as well as hammocks and conical boat swings, in addition to your bog standard table and chairs. Torches line the coastal edge which gives a very mellow and romantic feel at night.

I’ve slept well in our room with super air conditioning and we get up at 5.30 am, to leave Ben Tre at 7. First we have to drive in the wrong direction, to get to the ferry to cross the Mekong, before we can continue moving actually closer to our destination.

At first all the seats in the front of the bus are taken, but soon Michel announces that the guide’s seat will remain empty today, so I gladly move forward, because in the back nobody’s already enough awake to chat.

When we arrive at the ferry, our party is split in half. Some of us can go, the others can’t, because the boat is full. When we are reunited on the other side of the river, we go on towards Ho Chi Minh City, which is on the way to Mui Ne. When we get there it’s 10.15 am and we pause at Michel’s own bar called Mai Café. It’s a small place which is run by his wife when he is traveling. Here fruit shakes in every thinkable variety are served at ridiculously low prices, I have tasted several different ones and they are all delicious.

Michel starts telling about Vietnamese customs and such, he knows a lot about this since his wife is Vietnamese and he deals with it every day. One thing he and his wife cannot agree on is the custom not to exterminate cockroaches, but to feed them. So they have made a compromise: his wife can feed the roaches anywhere she wants, except for the kitchen.

We leave Mai Café at eleven and drive until one, when we stop for lunch in Hung Phat. Everyone orders for himself, which maybe was not such a good idea. The staff can’t really handle 20 clients at once and it takes a while before they have written down the orders correctly. And when it comes to serving the food, I get mine when all the others have already finished theirs. Fortunately it tastes rather good.

Off we go again, our stomachs filled, waiting for whatever surprises this country may offer. When our bus pulls over, on our right hand side lies a dragon fruit plantation. And we’re going to have a tour. We’re early in the dragon fruit season and the plants are still blooming. The few fruits that the plants are already bearing are still green, not the bright purple-ish pink colour that makes them so recognizable.

A little closer to Mui Ne lies the fishing village Phan Thiêt, here we stop at the harbour to have a look at the fishing boats and their crew, who are already preparing for their next fishing trip early next morning. Some are cleaning their boat, others are repairing their nets.

From here it is some 15 kilometres to Mui Ne, a village that is known for its nuoc mam (fish sauce) which is a highly regarded product, and for its long sandy beaches. Tourism caused the village to grow, mostly resorts, and people who love sunbathing should certainly stay here for a couple of days.

It’s 4.30 pm when we get there, and while we are waiting for the key to our cottage, we agree with Caroline first to take a plunge in the alluring ocean, postponing dinner for a little while. We swim and splash about for a bit, feeling one with the sea and indulging in the surroundings, enjoying the descending sun and the shifting colours of the sandy beach with its palm trees in the fading light. We move to the resort’s swimming pool when it gets too dark to stay out in the sea safely (and the water in the pool is a bit warmer too).

After having washed up we cross the street to have dinner at Kim Loan’s. Dinner’s fine and the fruit shakes are great here, like everything has been freshly picked from the trees. Michel is here as well and he arranges a Xe Honda (rental moped) for me and a Xe Om (rental moped with driver) for Caroline, for tomorrow we will not be joining the rest of our group, but the three of us will be going to a large statue of a reclining Buddha. According to the drawn map on the wall of the restaurant it should be about 20 kilometres from here, so that’s quite allright.

We’re in bed by 10.30 pm and in spite of the heat (27 degrees Celsius) I fall asleep within minutes.

Following two days of rain we had decided the previous night that we would make the fifteen-plus hours bus journey to Hoi An. But then the sun came and so we decided to stay! In the hot sunshine Mui Ne becomes a completely different proposition. (Neil & Jess have moved on to Hoi An. Annie also took the bus to Hoi An as she flies back to Chicago in a little over a weeks time.)

Maria, Gaby and I decided that we would rent scooters for the day and ride them to the sand-dunes. What follows is more-or-less the entirity of my first, and only, lesson on how to ride a scooter:

Scooter Guy: "Have you ever riden before?"
Me: "No."
Scooter Guy: "Okay. Pull this (the brake) and push this (the starter button). Turn this (the throttle) slowly. And here's the horn. (Honk! Honk!) Slowly, slowly!"

As you can see, it was extremely thorough introduction!


***


About twenty minutes into our ride and Maria took a 'spill' which meant a quick detour to the hospital. (The locals where very helpful.) After she had had her cuts and grazes on her elbow, knee and hand cleaned and dressed - I couldn't resist taking a photo of her suffering! - and getting rid of the children who were determined to hitch a ride on the back of the scooters as 'guides', we set off again, at Maria's insistence.

When we arrived at the red sand-dunes we stopped at at a cafe and had a disgusting warm fruit salad covered in melting ice. More children were flocking around us with peices of 'lino' to be used a sleds on the dunes. So we climbed up the dunes with our entourage in tow.

At first they were sweet, asking the few questions in English that they knew and insisting that they accompany us to the white sand-dunes. However - there's always a 'however'! - as soon as we had returned to our scooters after a slide down the dunes and we had given them some money, they turned into little devils. They wanted more money, and as Gaby told one of them: "When someone gives you money you say 'thank you' and not 'more money.'" The boy qiuckly became abusive, shouting "Fuck you! Fuck off!" and so we hopped onto our scooters and headed back into Mui Ne and not towards the white sand-dunes.

Since it was still early in the afternoon we decided that we would ride to the supermarket at nearby Phan Thiet to stock up on a few essentials. However, time, fuel and some conflicting directions beat us and we returned to Mui Ne to return our scooters. Upon arriving back at the Tam Long Restaurant, which had become our 'local', the family who run it were genuinely more concerned about Maria than the scooter. Maria insisted that she would pay for the damage to the scooter inspite of the families reluctance to accept her money.

That night Gaby & I ate dinner without Maria, who had returned to her room feeling a bit stiff and achy, which was hardly surprising. I had some fresh springrolls and a seafood soup, plus a few bottles of beer which came to a little over US$4. Gaby & I decided over dinner that following the day's 'events' the next day, weather permitting, would be a 'Beach Day!'

More days spent sunning ourselves on the beach, eating cheap squid & whole fish and drinking cheap beer & wine. So stressful...


***


Drinking far too much at the beach-front bar WAX. We ended doing drunken Yoga on the beach and swimming in the sea. The result of which was us dripping sea water and sand all over their dance-floor at 3am in the morning. It was a good night!

Leaving Maria on the beach, Andi, Michelle, Gaby & I rented a jeep and driver for the day to go explore the 'tourist attractions' of Mui Ne. The soundtrack for the drive turned to be a tape with an eclectic collection of songs which ranged from a techno version of George Michael’s 'Careless Whispers' to Whitney Houston’s cover of 'I Will Always Love You.'

The tour took in the following sites:

The Fairy Stream - a bright red stream that is barely a trickle. The highlight is the quicksand that sucks you down to your knees in no time and proves to be a real struggle to release yourself from. Again it was accompanied by two young lads who did absolutely nothing and yet expected money in return. (Didn’t Dire Straits write a song…?)

The Fishing Village - fishing boats and coracles for as far as the eye can see and the source of all of our delicious fresh seafood that we ate everyday. An awesome sight.

The White Sand-dunes - absolutely beautiful! Bright white sand-dunes surrounded by lush green hills and next to a lake. Although the strong winds and bare legs did make for a painful exfoliation!

The Red Sand-dunes - we returned to the red sand-dunes and they were even more of a disappointment after the splendor of the white equivalent. (The little brats were still there and still trying to upset us.)

The Red Canyon - absolutely rubbish! It’s a tiny canyon that’s red and that’s it. The name tells you everything there is to know about it.


***


For dinner that night we went to a different, and more expensive, restaurant complete with a truly horrendous 'boy-band' karaoke video playing in the background. It was here that I saw the 'Delicacies Menu' which meant that I had a python curry with rice. It was nothing special - not particularly spicy, the meat was too chewy and it had far too many bones in it. However, I can now scratch python from my list of ‘Foods To Eat Before I Die.’ (Not that it was on the list, or that the list even exists for that matter!)