Last memories on the Isle of Phu Quoc

We had a most memorable last day on the island. Reminisced about our adventures and escapades in Phu Quoc. The resort slip ons, complementary foot ware for lounging, beach, or pool use. We know no one wants to wear shoes that have been on my size 1o`s, and we really don`t want to wear anyone else's either. But others do! We laughed about the Vietnamese shuffle, it's a distinct dragging of the feet, who cares I`m tired kinda shuffle. Now don`t get me wrong as these people have to put up with lots of tourist crap and some of the rudest cultures that I have been exposed to ( busloads of fudging Chinese and loud rude Russians). I can understand their lack of excitement. Fortunately we know how to smile and found it can take us a long way on our travels. When we were checking out of our hotel we had some of the food servers and hotel security poke their heads out to wave and say goodbye. We are so very lucky! The old sayings that our mothers taught us right and treat others as you would want to be treated, man oh man is it ever a truism!
We've seen pearls in a variety of colors, from the traditional white and cream to soft coral/peach tones to pretty shades of pinks and mauves. Many varied shades of blue to dark grey, then black. All very beautiful!
We have seen and biked across many dusty unpaved roads,past many pepper plantations, swam threw needle (jellyfish choppings) warm waters. Ate our fair share of french bagettes, interesting fruits, and carbo loading pasta dishes and seafood of all shapes, sizes and flavours.
We are happy and fully recovered from the food poisoning and whatever Stevo had, now we joke about it. I have stopped asking him 20 times a day, how are you doing, how do you feel? I'm sure he's happy for that.
Last day beach walk , reading poolside and a little ocean side massage will complete the day. We had a fun visit and shared some wine and much laughter with the massage lady, Thamb, the night before we made use of her services. I had a most relaxing time, then she started to remove the unwanted hair between my eyebrows with thread and then proceeded to remove all those light hairs that are on everyone's forehead. You know the ones that are there to help keep the sweat from running into your eyes, well mine are all gone now. She wanted to remove all the facial hair from my cheeks to my chin but that is where I drew the line! I had visions of it later growing back and becoming a neanderthal woman! Oh what a scary vision that would be. I would have to style my hair with bangs for life! So I thought the best thing to do was make sure Steve had the same experience, that way we could both relate to the experience! So I extracted Steve from poolside and lead him to the relaxing massage lounger and while he was laying on his back, I motioned Thamb to remove a few back hairs. So now the relaxed feeling you have after massage was gone and we would joke and laugh and ask when she is going to start putting bamboo shoots under our nails. She did a whopper of a job and was able to inflict the same torture on him to upwards of 45 minutes. Even after the hairs have grown back these moments will stay with us forever!

Stuck in Phu Quoc or Splurge to Purge

Checked into our cute, quiet little bungelo and enjoyed our lunch by the ocean. We thought we were in for a treat, unfortunately the pasta I ate with the questionable meat sauce woke me in the night. Three sessions of violent puking! Not a lot of sleep and man oh man was my throat sore. Steve nursed me back to health with LOTS of tea and water, only to later change places with him in bed with a fever and upset stomach. Now he's contracted a mysterious bug of a different sort. Not a lot of fun. While I was at the beach our neighbours approached and asked how we have been feeling. They too were both ill. So I made an executive decision and we moved back to last hotel we stayed at and thankfully they had a room for us! There were more pros versus cons. Avoiding more illness was a priority. The next hotel had better food options in and around the area. We also saw a huge rat running around behind the previous hotel restaurant. The new establishment had free breakfast, airport shuttle, cheaper room, internet, t.v. with three stations, a swimming pool, and better beds with nice fluffy pillows. This hotel is bigger and busier than the cute little bungelo we left behind. As we cannot get a flight off this island till the 25'th of feb it'll do fine. The other option was a half hour taxi to the airport then a three hour ferry to catch a seven hour bus to Siagon. A best case scenario of course. We decided to hang out and take the sixty dollar one hour flight. As it turns out we made a good choice as Steve has taken a bit to recover. Now not to worry anyone, but HOLY SHIT did he give me a scare the other night. After a couple days of rest , he felt like going out for some food. We were at our favorite East Indian resturant, Ganeesh, and after a few bites of our spicy dinner he went white or call it yellow, I`m not sure but the colour drained out of him, sweat was running off of his entire body, his hands rolled inward and he tightened up, his eyes rolled upward so I could only see the whites and he fell back into the chair and was instantly snoring. I grabbed him and kept rubbing his arms and saying his name. He was out for about five seconds. We"re guessing his body went into some kind of shock! I have never felt so scared and alone and helpless!!!! The resturant staff also did not know what to do, we got him ice cold cloths and once he felt a bit composed we got a 50 cent cab back to our hotel or less than a five minute walk. We were taking no chances. Once back at the room I gave him a dose of the super dooper antibiotics and Ibuprophine.
I went to check out where I could contact a doctor and if there was a hospital on the island. I so wanted to call my sister Tami, but knew at this point that it would be useless as there was nothing she could do from afar and I probably would just hear her voice and cry. So it's been a couple days (daze), and my Steven is almost back to his healthy 100% SELF!!!
This island is about to go off, big plans for an international airport are under way, and we assume that at that time they will have most of the islands roads paved. On the resort side of the island there is a jellyfish problem that makes swimming uncomfortable. The local fishermen drag their nets and bring the jellyfish to the surface where the boat props chop them into tiny bits. We found this at a few beaches in Thailand and Rosi confirmed it by way of a documentary she watched. It is entertaining to watch the newbies take to the water to see how long they will stay in before the itching strikes. It feels as though your swimming through tiny needles.Fortunately it leaves no marks and goes away once you leave the water. Speaking of jellyfish, the other day Steve witnessed a guy pull two huge ones from the ocean, they were bigger that his head with a clear jelly and a blue veiny core.
Now on the other side of the island we discovered an amazing fine white sandy beach. On our second dip into the water, within seconds we both were stung by something spiny on the ocean floor. There was even some minor bleeding. Needless to say that was our last swim in this part of the ocean. So we hope for all those visiting this area that the resort you choose has plans for a nice big swimming pool.

Phu Quoc

On the road again. Literally, we were up at 12:30am in the middle of the night to catch our bus to Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City). We were told to be ready for a 1:30am pick up. We stood on the roadside and waited and waited and it finally showed it`s bright lights at 3:30am. Many buses went by, so needless to say we were a little concerned. We had the whole back section of the sleeper bus to ourselves, five loungers to sprawl out on. It made for a much better bus trip! The seats were worn and comfy, we were tired so anything at that hour feels good!
Got to the airport with lots of time to spare, had noodle soup for breakfast and people watched for the remaining few hours until we boarded our flight to the isle of Phu Quoc. We were picked up by the hotel staff and whisked to our new digs. We had a nice little room with a pool and on the ocean. Dinner oceanside, and a good nights sleep. Got up, rented a moped and checked out our new surroundings. Yellow flowers everywhere!!! They're purchased from the markets and displayed around homes and restaurants. Much like we do with our Christmas trees. It is Tete, the biggest celebration of the year. It's described as everyone's birthday, a time to reflect , and welcome in the new year. We could feel the vibe and excitement leading up to their special day. A time to spend with family and friends. We saw men with rakes and hoes, they clean them after harvest and place them on their relatives graves to celebrate hard work and a good harvest. They also placed yellow flowers on the grave sites.
We went into the city and watched a local woman have her beach chairs taken away by the mafia. She was very upset as it's her livlehood. It was quite the commotion and we felt sorry for her. Obviously only certain people are allowed to rent chairs at that spot in town. She had taken her moped and hid it down the street then came running back to yell at the officials. We guessed she hid her bike so they wouldn't take that away also.
Later we drove around and tried to find a new place to stay as the hotel was booked and could only give us 5 days, after a few hours of bumpy dirt roads and rejection we decided to park and do some beach pounding. After a lot of sorry we are booked, and at the second to last hotel on the strip, they were able to accommadate us for the remaining time we have on the Island. This place is small and booked for Tet and the Chinese New Year. They coinside with each other indicated by the amount of Chines families arriving by the busloads.
Laundry day, sniff and sort, we have it down to a science. Had dinner at a french restaurant, run by a Vietnamese and Russian couple. Listened to the Philipino band, two girls in go go boots and hotpants with a guitar player. They played chick hits from the 70`s -90's. This night we were the minority as it filled with Russians. Regular portions of food for us, twice the size for them. They would bring in their own large bottles of vodka and drink shooters with their meal. We've seen this in New York City but still a sight!
Valentines day and Tet, enjoyed each others company and had a nice dinner ocean side.
Then it was our 15th anniversary on Feb 15'th. We lucked out and were able to enjoy a quiet day by the pool and had a fab dinner at an East Indian restaurant. Part of the same chain in Mui Ne and it's definitely the best! Up and packing then off to our next hotel. It's a cute little bungalo and they said we can have it for as long as we like. It's a bit more than we budgeted but after all it`s our anniversary week and sometimes you just gotta splurge, but we think we're worth it!

Mui Ne and the cat's meow

We ll I`m happy to say that Steve made it to level 3 and has been up and riding . Being a spectator is almost as rewarding. He ripped yet another kite , lost a helmet and a safety line during the process, but it's been worth it.
It's our last day here so we're hoping the winds are strong enough and the kite repair is done so he can get another day of riding in.
Another bank run and were well received in spite of the last time we were there. They quickly took our mastercard and passport and still gave us a big smile. After an hour and a half the process was complete. I think that it was their way of getting back at us for the last go around. It usually takes under an hour. Go figure?
Paid up our bills for kite repairs,rentals, replacements, bus trip, visa extentions and flights. Tonight at 1:30 am we bus to Siagon (Ho Chi Minh City) . We'll arrive around 7am and then catch our flight to Phu Quoc Island at 10:30am. It is one of the largest island in Vietnam with most pristine beaches and we are told it is not as touristy. The travel guide says that this island is to
expand like Phuket, Thailand in years to come. We are excited to get to it before over development. We see major infrastructure started in this area with roads , large boardwalks, street lights, greenery, and only a few hotels with complexes, along miles and miles of these empty new roads. Big things are planned for sure. The one thing we will say is they need a little insight on tourism and how a smile will go a long way. That is one thing that bugs me and I feel is missing! Thailand has got that nailed. I guess thats why they call it the land of smiles. Here it is only done a fraction of the time, by a small amount of people.
We see lots of interesting sights. The fish net ladies, they are repairing and not wearing them. Back home we have water delivery, here it's rice. Everything from bags of sand, trees, birds in cages and pigs are shuttled around via moped. They pack and stack steel tubing and any other construction materials that back at home we'd need a pickup truck and here they get it all on their bikes! It's amazing what they can put on their mopeds.Steve says no wonder with all their determination and strength, that they won the war. Subtle and strong minded.
The dogs in Asia love to ride with their masters. What a sight! They look as comfortable riding as the small children they are raised on their mopeds.We question the licensing process as the drivers here are absolutley terrible, they pull out with out looking, pass and then come to a complete stop, u-turn without shoulder checks and all they seem to be taught is to us their f-ing horn. It's not road rage, they are just announcing they are there. As to what they are going to do next, one can never tell? We have had a few close calls. Thanks to Steve`s defensive driving we are safe .At home we tease him and call him grandpa driver, but here I am so grateful for his choices. We are surprised that we have only seen one accident so far. It unfortunately involved a tourist and a local. Wonder whos fault it was?? Always the tourist.
We love the back up warning on the taxis, rather than a horn or beeping it plays the happy birthday or a wake up song. We notice that at most hotels and restaurants there's a shower set up for the staff. They work extremley long hours and some sleep at their work places on a simple mat. We notice a lot of head checks and nit picking, looking for lice. Speaking of hair I had another fine experience at the beauty salon. First I walked by a few times and asked directions, no wonder, as the salon is also a motorbike rental shop and tour guide operater. The girl at the front desk was happy to quote me 10 bucks for a color, asked me to pick it out, and then called the stylist to say she had a customer. She applied the color in a somewhat similar application that we use at home, only with huge two inch sections then combed it flat to my head, wrapped a towel around my hairline and placed me under a hot steamer for about 20 minutes. I was cooked, perspiration was literally pouring into the towel that had become my sweat band. She then washed off the colour with cool refreshing water and gave me a full face wash and scrub. I kept my mouth and eyes tightly closed, she would rub and scrub and after she did a few scalp manipulations along with some face tapping with full on ear probing, or should I say pumping, this was a first. The treatment and color results were fine and I felt refreshed. Plus we notice the national shoe must be the flip flop. What a great fashion statement! Used at work, rest, and play.
Well last day in Mui Ne, gotta love it anyway!!!

Kite surfing , sand dunes and banking express

Time is on our side and we have decided to hang here for two weeks. It will allow us the priviledge of having our hotel do our visa run to Saigon and for Steve to log more time at school and now it's more practice time for him with the kite and the surfboard. He is doing great and has been up and riding. He is now at level 2 with only one ripped kite. Most impressive as some things that looks easy, are not. He's had to give up a few days kite surfing as the winds are not always strong enough unless your a really good lightweight or have a super large kite. So on those days we have taken our moped out to discover the area. We found the white sand dunes on our own. It took a few u-turns and quizzing a few locals since english is not spoken off the beaten path. Well worth the effort since the white sand dunes are even more impressive than the red sand dunes. We did not slide as we watched a couple others try. The friction between the magic carpet and sand is a very slow go. People were using legs and hands in a feeble attempt to propel down the hill. Had a stressful time at the bank the other day. While signing lots of paperwork I did not notice that we had asked for 20 million dong but the teller thought it was 9o million dong instead. She confused the 2 for a 7. No wonder it was taking twice as long as before because when they called us to the more private side teller to
pick up the dong it was 4 thousand US dollars. Yikes!!! We definitely don't want to be carry that amount around and we were also surprised that our master card would give us that in one transaction. Now my brousin Dale and friend Fran (bankers) will get a laugh out of this fiasco. They'll be happy to not have to work in the branches here as their banks open from 7:30am-11:30am, close for lunch, reopen from 1:00pm-4:00pm, siesta-dinner and open again from 7:30pm-10:30pm. Those are some crazy banking hours. So when this transaction went down and said we do not want that much money it started to involve many other tellers, managers and it was now close to 11:30. They asked us to return after 1:00 and they would have it corrected for us. We take for granted the speed and service we get back home. So off for lunch and wandered around the mall. I had broken the clasp on my chin strap so we had it repaired. This is the third time so far our my trip that I have done something to my helmet. Do you think I`m a little hard on things? Oh well.