More adventures of a newbie..
By Lauren McDonald
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Having accomplished the task of transporting myself, be it only to the supermarket and only in the middle of the day when the roads are quietest, and another pedicure and a never ending hair wash experienced, it seemed time to venture further a field yet again. With time a little tight we decided on a day trip to Vung Tau to check out what’s available in accommodation and just feel the sand between our toes again.
Since last time we went by car and could still taste the diesel fumes a week later, we opted for the ferry ride. An uneventful taxi ride had us there and ready to board early, so it was nice to watch the river traffic go by for a while. I have trouble rowing an aluminium boat in a straight line using my arms, so I was intrigued to watch a Vietnamese lady rowing one of those heavy little timber planked boats with her feet and managing to dodge the huge volume of traffic on the river at the same time.
The ferry is a much nicer trip and other than the feeling of being in a harmonica, the close proximity of oncoming ships and the occasional stop to clear the weeds away from the water intake. It was a much more enjoyable experience.
The last time we were here we must have visited Vung Tau midweek, so it was surprising to see the beach resembling Surfers Paradise, without the expanse of bare, tanned bodies of course, but almost as crowded.
Even though I find it a little disconcerting to make eye contact with your food just before its cooked, a lunch of barbequed prawns and steamed crab (and a couple of Tiger beers of course) in such a nice location is hard to beat! A scenic tour in a taxi with a dodgy meter and a coffee at Highlands had us ready to head back home. Next time we will definitely stay a while longer and maybe even climb the mountain to Jesus.
The following week a trip to Cu Chi to inspect a job site with the breadwinner seemed like a welcome change and the fact that there would be "lots of ducks " was an added bonus.
Unfortunately my interpretation of "ducks" proved wrong and we were greeted by, literally, 101 Dalmations. I think the thing I miss most about home is my dogs, so this seemed like a great opportunity to get my dog fix. After negotiating the milling throng of spotted, barking dogs I was a little upset to discover that this man also had, in various bamboo cages, German Shepards, a Golden Retriever, a Saint Bernard, a Rottweiler, a Husky, even a Pug, a Daschund, and a Greyhound. The Saint Bernard really tore at my heartstrings, being such a large dog in such a small cage and we tried, unsuccessfully, to buy her. I gathered that they were being kept for breeding purposes, so I have since decided I will stick to flying back home for future dog fixes!
With thanks to the King and his birthday holiday we found ourselves with a long weekend to fill so, after acquiring a driver at a much-inflated price due to our last-minute timing, we set off for Mui Ne. The drive is the same as any long haul in Vietnam, filled with heart in the mouth encounters with oncoming trucks and buses, but well worth the effort.
After booking into our accommodation of lovely little grass huts right on the beach and removing the road grime in the pool, we wandered through the "tourist" part of the village and enjoyed a meal of fresh seafood (with no eye contact) and a few Tiger beers and Pinacoladas before retiring to watch the huge fishing fleet light up the horizon in their endeavour to catch tomorrow’s dinner.
The next day, with the services of our driver, we set out to explore the sights. First stop the "Whites San Dunes" (as copied from the sign), a beautiful spot, with white sand dunes flowing into clear fresh water, some great photo opportunities to be had at sunrise or sunset I would think, if you can get any peace from the budding entrepreneurs with the sand boards for hire.
Next stop , the Red Sand Dunes (I forgot to read the sign so I can only presume I have the spelling right) to meet Tui (another guess at spelling). In the first five minutes of talking to Tui I found out she is ten, went to school for three years and is finished now because it’s too expensive, so she now sells postcards to the tourists in the morning then goes home for a shower, then heads to the beach to help Papa clean the day’s catch. All this in almost flawless English learnt from the tourists!! It makes me wonder how much untapped talent this country has, but I could also feel a little jealous of the lifestyle.
After a wander down the Fairy Stream and another encounter with apprentice tour guides we relaxed on the beach front loungers to watch the world float by.
Having mentioned previously my skill with oars the logic defying ability of the locals to row what can only be described as the equivalent of a large rice bowl woven from palm fronds kept me amused for quite some time. Another night of Pinacoladas and seafood and everyone is ready for the Saigon Shuffle again. If you haven't already been, and even if you have, you should get to Mui Ne soon, it really is beautiful and can only get bigger and touristier in the future. Be sure to say hi to Tui for me!!