Deserted Resort

For the last weekend of Hayley's visit we decided to explore a remote resort 40km north of VungTau. We took the speed boat to Vung Tau and then ordered a cab for the next part of the drive.  There was confusion about how to get there and Frank and the cabbie got into a bit of an argument.  It was when Frank slapped the dash board and demanded he stop in order to clarify our situation that we knew it would be an interesting ride.  On line this resort reported that it was busy and we had few choices of accommodation left.  When we arrived we were upgraded to a villa on the ocean - but the entire place was deserted.

View from our villa balcony

 
It was clean but the bathroom could have used an upgrade.  It felt very eery because there was NOBODY around except a few staff who just sat and watched TV in the lounge.  The pool was lovely and again all to ourselves.

AT the restaurant we were quickly told there was almost no selection to choose from (probably because there were no guests)  But what they did have was good and so we had it for dinner as well as there was nothing else close by.  The next day the rains started again and so we left early and had a lovely lunch at our favourite French Bistro in Vung Tau before our ferry was due.

We did get a few swims in before leaving and the water was almost too warm.  The last few days the rains have started and there have been a couple of thunderous storms followed by super rainbows.

It was a strange weekend.  How a place that accommodates well over 100 guests can be deserted on a weekend and with virtually no staff in sight can be a little weird. Oh well, they still only charged me for the discount rooms I booked because the website claimed all else were booked????

SUPing

I had a long weekend and with Hayley and Lila here, we headed off to Mui Ne.  For 3 days we had nothing but sunshine and ocean breezes. We did not plan much other than swimming in the sea and pool  and lounging.

A long 4 hour drive but Lila slept  most of the way :)

The sea water was so warm.

Early morning stroll along the beach.

Sampling the local beer.  A grandpa's duty.

The fishing boats.  They are round in order to avoid being swamped by the waves.

Just before he fell.  It looks calm but the water was choppy and some waves were 1/2 m high.

I paddled most of the time on knees but I did make it up a few times and I also did a dive in the sea.  Lots of fun and a good workout trying to stay balanced on the moving water.

Another weekend outing

April 21-22nd.
Frank has been nursing a bad cold/flu and so a friend of mine convinced me to go out Friday night.  The bookstore was closed so we then had our dinner in a small alley sitting on small metal stools surrounded by all the locals enjoying their food.  We shared a large paper thin crepe filled with egg, pork,shrimp greens and bean sprouts.  On the side was a platter of large lettuce leaves.  You put a helping of the mix on the leaf and roll it up and dip in the sauce.  Quite tasty.  After sitting in a park for a bit with an ice cream we headed to a bar that was featuring a Vietnamese teacher that we work with who is also in a band.

The warm up band  - Punk Rock Vietnamese style.

It was a small venue and smoking is allowed.  The table next to us had a regular sized bottle of Scotch as their beverage for the evening.  The music was incredible loud - actually ear splitting.  I cannot believe that this is actually fun.  My companion for the evening is of my generation and so I guess it cannot be my age that resulted in my  not really enjoying this.

Anyway it was a good night anyway.

Next morning we Scootered to district 2 - Frank feeling better - to view a charity bazaar.  It was in a very wealthy compound by the river.  The Crafts were high quality and the scenery very nice.

I went to the hospital Friday afternoon to have my Achilles tendon examined.  It has been swollen and at times painful.  The doctor recommended an MRI.  I began to tell him that I would be leaving in 5 weeks and so I may have to have it done when I return.  He looked blankly at me as if my story was of little concern and asked if I was available later that afternoon for the MRI.  OK, I guess they do things quickly here. 

  

Sunday & Silk

It is really getting hotter - average day is now around 34C.  Sunday we went for lunch at L'Usines and then picked up my silk night gowns that I had made for me.  I gave them my old one that I really like and had them duplicate the pattern.

This is the colourful one.  I also had a black one done which is like the original.  They are as light as air and are very comfortable.
We then went to the botanical garden and zoo. It was so hot outside that I was completely drenched after few hours walking.  We took a scooter to a little bar and had a margarita.  I licked the salt and tried not to down the beverage too quickly.

Oh yes - and a side of onion rings. People watched for a while before heading home.

Gates of District 2

Thursday was Hung King's Day, a national holiday.  Ancient history records show that a Chinese ruler gave Vietnam many of its customs that have shaped the culture of Vietnam.  It is a relatively quiet day without all the fanfare that accompanies other holidays.  We have never been to District 2 and so we each got a GRAB scooter and after a 30 minute ride we arrived.  There were many large international schools and what looked like a more established expat community of exclusive houses.  We started our visit at a riverside pub and enjoyed a drink while the rain passed.   It was very quiet and did not feel like we were in Ho Chi Minh anymore.  As we walked we passed many homes with massive and elaborate gates.

Among these villas there is still the cracked sidewalks and garbage that is common in most of the city.  This area is known for its French and Italian residents.  We found a main street that had some excellent bakeries and little shops.  After buying some bread and a few other items we decided on an Italian restaurant that ranked high on the Trip Advisor list - La Bettola.  I had a fantastic (I have to stop using that word) ravioli smothered in sage infused clarified butter and Frank had a tomatoe based pasta.  Dessert - of course - chocolate mousse for me  and a common Italian dessert of homemade vanilla ice cream with espresso over top for Frank.  Some beer and wine and it all came to about $60CAN.  This district did not really excite me and since it is a bit of a trek to get there, I will probably not go often.

On the road with Family

March has been a fun month.  Visit from family and a few extra days off from work. To keep travel to minimum, we spent March 12 - 14 in Vung Tau.  We hired a private car which picks us up at our door and returned via a high speed boat.  The drive there took about 2 hours.  Our hotel/resort was called Lan Rung.

The resort had a small rocky beach and one late afternoon we enjoyed riding some waves and watching the sun set.  The next day we took a cable car up one of the hills to an amusement park.  It was getting a bit tired looking and could use a bit of updating.  There were few people there and so we pretty much had the run of the place.  J decided to try zip lining.  We chose not to.  The best attraction was an Alpine down hill sled which you could control yourself.  All 4 of us took it many times.

On our last day we took the 5 minute ride to the huge beach.  It stretches for as far as you can see.  We rented chairs, an umbrella and bought a beautiful kite.  There is always a steady wind by the ocean.

kite flying

 The next weekend I had a 3 day weekend and we again took a personal driver to go to Cat Tien National Park.  It is about a 3-4 hour drive into the interior.  Our accommodations were next to the park.  A 10 minute walk to the gate and the 3 minute ferry ride to the other side and into the park.  Gibbon monkeys which are endangered are a feature here.  You can hear their haunting call early in the morning.  A very bizarre call.  We saw the rescued monkeys and the ones which are being introduced back into the park.  Frank saw a black copra on his bike ride and an oriental snake. We rented bikes to get around and explore some of the park.

our ferry

A BIG tree.  Lots of bird sounds and managed to actually see a few colourful ones.

relaxing in the late afternoon at our lodge.  Game of cards and some cold drinks.

Ended the week and the visit with roof top drinks at the Pullman Hotel and then dinner at L'Usine's French Bistro.  Ahhhh:)

Mekong, March 5

We hired a personal driver to pick us up right after work on Friday.  This saves time since we get picked up right at the apartment and driven to our exact location - no in between taxis and buses.  We booked a rustic bamboo shack on a small river in the Mekong area.

View from our balcony.

Simple but clean and comfortable.

We enjoyed the quiet surroundings and spent most of our 2 days relaxing in the hammocks and reading and eating.

The dining area.  We were invited to try the food tour to sample rat, frog, and crocodile. The only tour we did do was a late afternoon boat ride as the sun was setting.

We boated on a traditional wooden boat.  There was a floating market that was offered that left at 5:30am.  Again we just preferred to stay put this time.  Maybe next time we return. The facility had a suspension bridge across the river which connected to the rest of this 'Homestay'.

On Sunday we did made good use of the bicycles provided and we cycled along narrow roads and through numerous hamlets and dwellings along the winding rivers.  We saw children playing freely everywhere and folks bathing in the muddy waters (along with the floating garbage).  It was a real glimpse into everyday rural life.