Mui Ne and A Bunch of Sand Dunes

Four days of pure heaven elapsed in a blink of an eye and it was time for us to move on. Next destination was the small town of Mui Ne.

Mui Ne is know for its chill atmosphere and its wondrous sand dunes. We took the opportunity to arrange a motorcycle tour from "Bi" Hoang Quoc Phung, a recommendation from our friend we taught with in Korea, Jaclyn. He was the shit, if you are in Mui Ne give him a call (091 957 2477).

'Bi' and his friend drove us all around on the back of their motorcycles. First we checked out the small fishing village and some windy beaches. Then we hit up more sand dunes than anyone could possibly want to see.

As we walked across them, we could swear that we were walking in the middle of a dessert. White sand dunes, Red sand dunes, Yellow sand dunes, so many sandy sand dunes!

It was a lot of fun but at the end of the day we were ready to not see a sand dune for the rest of our lives!

Bliss On Phu Quoc Island

After our happenings on the Mekong we deiced to take a trip to paradise. The phallicly named Phu Quoc Island was where we headed. Escaping one of the biggest scams we've stumbled into thus far, and Alissa throwing up all over the dirtily named "SUPERDONG" speed ferryboat, we finally arrived on the island!

We did nothing but relax on the near empty tropical whitish-orange sand beach that seemed to stretch on for miles. This is how we spent four fabulous days.

Shots From Ho Chi Minh City

Vietnam: Solo Adventures On The Mekong

Internet is almost unbearably snail here in Southeast Asia (we're talking mid 1990s speeds)! Consequently, we have only done the minimal of online work. Now we're in Laos. But I wish to tell a tale of one of our adventures on the Mekong Delta in Vietnam.

So as you read before we decided to take on the Mekong solo. The following is an account of our mis-misadventures.

We hopped on the back of motorbikes that scooted us to the public bus station. This in itself was a adventure in and of itself in a city that has more registered motorbikes then any city in the world!

From there we boarded a public bus and was instantly greeted with coy smiles and modest nods of approval by the common folk of Saigon. Sellers of fresh loaves of bread pushed their way onto the eary 1980s ear bus that was adorned with small patches of rust and coated with a patchwork of white paints that boar signs of coarse-bristled paint brushes barely visible under the thin layer of dust that covered it. The bread sellers, usually of the stereotypical Vietnamese variety- old, toothless, with their faces shaded in the conical weave of rice farmers hats, sold bread and everyone (I mean it EVERYONE) on the bus purchased at least one loaf. Alissa and I, although full, gradually collapsed under peer pressure (cultural pressure???) and purchased a few loaves. The locals smiles now beamed with the ultimate acceptance and approval.

We took that bus to a small city, Mytho, near the mouth of the Mekong. From this touristy city we hired a local lady to take us around to the small islands nearby on a rickety wood boat. Traveling down the small tropical canals of the Mekong, were truly surreal. With the tropical vegetation almost engulfing our small wood boat, we felt that at any given moment the Viet Cong would pop out of the shady foliage with guns pointed to kill. It was a scene right out of Apocalypse Now!

After visiting a few islands, we decided to spend the night on one. There was a small run down hotel located on this extraordinarily small tropical island. There was something odd about this island but we couldn't quite pin it down. Either way it was cheap, secluded and quiet.

The sun soon set as we unpacked our stuff for the night. As we walked the hotel grounds we discovered why it was so quiet, we were perhaps the only ones staying in this hotel. And as the darkness descended upon night, the few families on the island disappeared, and the creepy crawlies and other animals of the night seemed to take over.

Rats emerged and crawled freely about darted past our every stride, geckos and lizards scampered across our walls, and crocodiles splashed about in nearby waters. We were a bit freaked but with the whole island shut down for the night we were stuck.

Unable to sleep we, decided to roam the hotel. We stumbled upon dusty show room that explained the history of this hotel and the island. As it goes, this island was once home to a man named the Coconut Monk. The French Collage educated Coconut Monk left his wealthy family and pursued a meditative life surviving off only coconut milk for 3 years. He believed in the peace of all creatures and pressured the Vietnamese government to unite peacefully during the war. He had quite the following and built a temple. As it turns out the current ground of the hotel we now stayed at is the lodging for his past followers. Consequently, this hotel now displays the his wacky Apollo Space shuttle Pagoda among other architectural bazzarities.

In the corner of the show room we saw a picture of the Coconut Monk with many cats and rats on his lap. The write-up under the picture explains that "if he could teach rats and cats to be friends so could the world achieve peace"... well that explains everything!!!

Our Plan Is... There Is No Plan!

We have been drinking $1.50 beers at a pub for the last three hours feeling well, a little bored or at the very least in a state of deep irresponsible state of relaxation.

After nearly getting hit by motorcycles since early this morning and doing a pretty concise walking tour of Ol' Ho Chi Minh where old French architecure seems to be the forte, we are now just kickin' it. Maybe it's the Bryan Adams and Anne Murray that seems to be in constant rotation here at this pub, but we're feeling pretty squirly.

It takes a lot to jump from busy but fairly easygoing 10 hour work days in Korea, to a lifesytle of no plans, no work, and, consquently, no thought.

So we decided to create a little adventure for ourselves...

Tomorrow we have vowed to make the two hour trip Southwest to the Mekong Delta by ourselves forgoing the cheaper but excessively cheesier 'tour package' for the much more unpredicable self excursion. Then it's on to the serene but phallically named Phu Quoc Island.

Stay tuned... ahhh.. no more Anne Murray.... EEEE...

ABBA!!!

We're in Ho Chi Mihn!

That's right. Say good bye to Kimchi Jeagae and hello to fresh rolls and pho noodles.

Even More From Hahoe Folk Village...

We absolutely loved this little village.

Koreans Teach Us Kimchi Jjigae

***This is just a break in the Fanta Saga which will continue again next post.

With just under a month left in Korea we took the opportunity to learn to cook one of our favorite Korean dishes, Kimchi Jjigae with some of our favorite Korean ladies, Sang Hee and Hye Jung.

We all took turns doing something: Alissa sliced up the vegetables, Sang Hee diced up the tofu, Hye Jung sauted and spiced the kimchi and added the tuna, Matthew prepared the rice, while Jacyln went to look for more spoons as we only have enough for three.

We must say that we are a pretty good team because it tasted so good we scarfed the whole thing down without even snapping a picture of the final product. This is all that was leftover...

For all of those who are dying to try some authentic Korean food, we now know a traditional Korean classic for when we finally come home.

More from Hahoe Folk Village

A symbol of late fall is the chrysanthemum, this town had an abundance of them growing against old walls and ancient houses. This area is particularly know for its famous all natural organic tea harvested at this time of year from these flowers.

Day 8 Continued: Pictures From Hahoe Folk Village

This is actually a real village with people that live and work in these houses and shops. The photographic opportunities were many in this quaint village. The sights were beautiful.