Mui Ne Feb 12-14
We begin our system of Jett waiting at the travel office while I find a room that becomes our standard system for the trip. I find a beachfront bungalow for $7 with ocean views from the window - very rustic but sufficient. That evening we go for a walk along the beach and to find a motorbike to rent for the next day which is how we plan to see whats around each town. On the way back to the bungalow we take a shortcut to the beach through another resort and walk past a woman on the path who yells out "David" in a Canadian accent. It is Patricia who I met with her husband Andre in Luang Prabang in Laos weeks ago. What are the chances of seeing them here? Well, if you've travelled, and as we regularly find out on this trip, pretty goog. We keep bumping into people from other towns all the time. They are staying in a beautiful resort where Andres uncle and aunt have been for a month and invite us there for dinner the next night and for Jett to swin in their pool.
The next day we hire a motorbike and ride 30km to giant white sand dunes rising 30-100 metres into the air. Local kids rent out masonite boards with handles and after a difficult climb knee high in sliding sand, we get to the top of a dune and take turns sliding down. You can see the photos but only the video does it justice. I have to say the few rides we did on the dunes are easily one of the highlights of a trip that has been full of them. We spend the afternoon reading in the hammock, under the palms by the beach (Jett is a born traveller). That evening we meet Patricia, Andre and family at their resort, have a few drinks and catch up while Jett swims in the pool. It is lovely meeting them again.
Our last day at Mui Ne, we are walking on the beach when we spot the Danish girls from the bus. Jett is ecstatic. Emme (11) and Emelie (7) play with Jett on the beach while I chat with their parents, who are as happy as I am for their kids to have someone to play with. The time goes quickly but we suspect we will meet up again on our separate journeys north. Jett and I say goodbye, have lunch at our bungalow.
If you have not been to Vietnam, and have not experienced the most ruthless, rude rippoff artists, the highest prices and worst value in Asia (probbaly hold the world title but wont be able to decide that til the end of the trip), consider yourself lucky. If you have been to Vietnam, then you know exactly what I'm talking about. Example at bungalow - front page of menu shows Happy Hour deals - range of drinks and food items including a seafood BBQ. One night we ordered the seafood BBQ during the Happy Hour time. When we get our bill I see that we have been charged full price for 2 seafood BBQs. I ask why. They say Happy Hour only for drinks. Why is it on the Happy Hour page directly under the drinks? I ask. That's just advertising that they have it. Its very confusing (should I say misleading) to put it there. Blank stare (an expression I will see hundreds of times over the next 2 weeks when making people aware that I am aware they are ripping me off).
I ask them to call to confirm what time the bus will arrive and - surprise surprise - they dont have us booked for Nha Trang, but for Ho Chi Minh City. They refuse to change the booking saying we must have made a mistake. Dont see how this is possible seeing as how we made the booking when we got off the bus 2 days ago when we arrived. Anyway, I tell her we are getting on that bus and we are going to Nha Trang. The bus arrives at 2pm. We get on and - you guessed it - there are no seats. We stand while the bus drives to the travel agency where another 2 people get on. Now there are 4 people standing. It would not be surprising if they just said "Tough luck" and made us stand for the 4 hours to Nha Trang. However, they spend 20 minutes checking everyones tickets and find a group of 4 who had only booked to Mui Ne but had decided to go to Nha Trang. They were asked to leave the bus, we get in our seats and head off..
posted by flamethrower77 at 12:24 AM
|
0 comments
