Vietnam, Part II

December 29 - January 6

dara/Mui Ne was a beautiful beach in Southern Vietnam. Jim & I decided to upgrade to a nicer room for New Years. We found this wonderful resort with a swimming pool on the beach. We enjoyed the days resting and relaxing in the sun. The breeze was perfect off the water, and we could hear the waves hit the shore.

This resort town is unique in the fact that the fishing villages are found on prime real-estate. There are little fishing villages between the guesthouses, bungalows and resorts. You can spend the day watching the locals launch the smaller coconut-shaped boats, pull in their fishing nets with the recent catch, and cook dinner in a campfire.

We decided to rent a motorbike to see and enjoy the coastline. We took our new favorite form of transportation to the sites near Mui Ne. The drive was pretty spectacular! We passed the red dunes, and along the road were palm trees, coconut trees and cactus. As we got further away from the coastline, there was this beautiful blue lake resting at the bottom of the white sand dunes. Turns out, there are several lakes throughout the white dunes.

From there, Jim & I headed to Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). It is a fun place, and we stayed in the backpacker neighborhood. Lots of restaurants, bars and late nights.

We met this smart little kid selling cigarettes on the street. He would sell them for the average price (85 cents), or you could play him in rock, scissors and paper. If he wins, you pay one dollar. If you win, he sells them for 70 cents. He was a genius at the game, and he would come over and hang out with us every now and then.

We also went to the War Rememberance Museum (formerly known as the Museum of American War Crimes). It was pretty rough. Lots of documentation on the effects of Agent Orange, Napalm, etc. Lots of birth deformities and skin disease. Lots of additional pictures on the destruction.

Overall, Vietnam was not quite what we expected. The people were not as friendly as in Thailand, and it seems everyone (English, Irish, Danish, etc.) that we met felt the same way. We did enjoy seeing the country though.