Tired of the constant two-step to avoid traffic, we decided to ditch the Saigon hustle for Independence weekend. No place is better to wash away your troubles than the beach, and so we rode off to Mui Ne.
Leaving at 8:30am, the bus ride I endured might have killed any ordinary human being. In addition to the long, hot, and sweaty (insert overused joke here) atmosphere inside the bus, I had food poisoning. Alas, such pain is common for us here in Vietnam. Luckily enough for me, everything cleared up by the time we reached the small town of Mui Ne.
This little fishing village held no more than a few thousand people living in shacks and boats. During the day one could see idle fishermen hanging their clothes out on their vessels or, in one case, even taking a shower. The shore was lined with little wooden circular boats no larger than six feet in diameter, which the fishermen would paddle out in the morning darkness to claim their share of the ocean's bounty. Some courageous souls even ventured out at least a couple of kilometers during the glassy morning waters only to be towed back mid-day by the myriad of colorful fishing boats filling the harbor. The village held only one new building, a relatively massive Catholic church adorned with dyed sea shells. The architecture harmoniously married modern design with the magnificent pagoda towers of old. It seemed that everything the townspeople had, they gave willingly to this building. Nothing attested more to the absolute poverty and relative happiness of such simplicity in life than the dichotomy which this church presented.
Our hotel was located about 7 kilometers outside the town of Mui Ne on a north-facing beach; A beach which was supposed to have white sand. Amazingly, even the sand had been able to tan in the Viet sun, at least since the brochures were written. I promised myself to follow suit in the next couple of days, and how I did.
The first few hours were spent jumping in and out of the beautiful pool, and trying to sink one of the circle boats (more like large floating baskets). Eventually we were successful in breaking it, simultaneously an accomplishment and an embarrassment. Tired of such frivolity, a few of the guys decided to try to climb across the horizontal palm trees which dared to hang directly over the ocean. Swinging like DK, we only made it about halfway across before the drop to the beach began to look too daunting. Soon, it was time for our first forays into the ocean water, which had finally cleared of the flotsam a few hours after we arrived. We just knew the water was going to be so nice and….warm? Surprisingly it didn't get very deep, even far out. A few hours of sun and fun, and a beautiful sunset later and we were ready to head off to the local bar to celebrate our first full week in Vietnam.
Mediocre food, bar food, was served for all as we gathered to listen to the eclectic taste of the local DJ. Lined with hammocks and only a step away from the sand, this was the epitome of beach bars. A midnight swim was decided upon and was not to let us down. We were treated to a brilliant showing by the stars and a surprising reaction by the water. Apparently, this water contained certain plankton which lit up as you moved. The effect was to produce a glowing energy from every appendage as we waded through the utter darkness of the ocean. The eerie silence coupled with the black water created a disturbingly peaceful environment. Lights from the countless fishing boats could be seen way out into the ocean, harkening the image of a vast invading fleet like those sailing Aegean a few thousand years ago. To us it almost seemed that at any moment our little game of Marco Polo was about to be interrupted by Achilles and Ajax landing, ready to make war. As restless as the night's water seemed, the morning would prove wholly different.
We awoke at 5 to catch sunrise. Beautiful and serene, the morning belayed the uneasiness of the night. The sand felt perfect for a jog, and so I managed to reach a resort which rented jet skis. Unable to resist blasting across the placid water, between the multitudes of fishing boats, I knew I had to rent one as soon as possible. A quick sprint back and forth to the hotel to grab my cash and soon I was cruising far out into the ocean at over 30mph. Picking up and dropping off a few friends along the way, I was able to eventually make it to extreme edge of the cove. There, we found an out cropping of rocks high enough to cliff-dive from. A few scrapes and bruises later, the adrenaline rushing through my veins, I was mid-air, thirty feet up, over the South China Sea just off the coast of Vietnam. Nothing ever felt so refreshing.
To cap the day off we decided to take a motorcycle ride through town and to the Red Sand Dunes. A risky, life endangering endeavor (motorcycle accidents are common) was nevertheless worth it. We were shown to the church, a local's only beach, and met some amazing children along the way. Talking to some of the kids proved to be the highlight of the trip. A snippet of conversation follows:
(discussing nicknames with Bom)
Me: My parents call me To Pho (Bowl of Soup)
Bom: Haha *points at me*, no! Your name is To (bowl)!!
Me: What…why?!
Bom: Because we know a girl named Pho (soup)!
Me: Haha, where can I find her?
Bom: Down at the school! Let's go!! :)
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And, unfortunately, soon it was time to go.
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