Vietnam: Mui Ne

Erin and I decided to purchase an "Open Bus Ticket" through Vietnam for $22. The ticket will take us north from Saigon to Mui Ne Beach, Dalat, Nha Trang Beach, Hoi An, Hue, and finally to Hanoi. This morning, Erin, Craig, and I boarded the early bus and headed to the sunny beaches of Mui Ne.

We found a beautiful bungalow right on the beach for $10, and after a quick lunch, we were soon in our swimsuits on the sand. We were hoping to rent surfboards and try the waves in Mui Ne; unfortunately, there was a horrible beach break. The winds were extremely strong, however, which made for perfect conditions for the hundreds of windsurfers and kitesurfers that dotted the watery landscape. We did find activity in the form of a walk on the beach, followed by serious relaxation in lounge chairs under the sun's late-afternoon rays.

That night we were exhausted from all of our traveling, so after a tasty dinner, we crashed in bed early. Saturday was just as uneventful as Friday, consisting of nothing more than lounging around in our swimsuits all day, tossing around a frisbee, and swimming in the sea. That night we ran into Chris, a fellow we all met in Saigon (making for a welcome addition of testosterone for Craig), and we had dinner, followed by cards, followed by dancing to the worst tunes known to man at Jibes, quite possibly the cheesiest beachside bar in Vietnam.

Today was another day of relaxing on the beach. Craig and I realized mid-afternoon that we were both low on funds, so we decided to rent a motorbike to take us to the nearest ATM in nearby Phan Thiet. I drove us there, then trusted Craig to get us back...this involved loads of trust, actually, considering this guy has never driven a car (except for the two practical driving tests he failed as a teenager). Amazingly, he was pretty good, so we whipped around the area for awhile before finally having to return the bike and meet the others for dinner.

Well, it seems like we have had enough of the beach. Tomorrow morning Erin and I will say goodbye to the sand, sea, Craig, and fresh seafood as we leave for Dalat.