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Published: July 14th 2008
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It's true - you can smell Mui Ne before you can see it! Mui Ne is a small fishing town where fish sauce is mass produced then shipped to Thailand before it can be exported abroad under the pretense that it was actually manufactured in Thailand, not Vietnam (apparently Vietnam doesn't have high enough hygienic standards to be granted exporting licenses). Food for thought when making Pad Thai back home...!
Despite the very strong fish smell, Mui Ne is LOVELY. Unfortunately, unlike Nha Trang which made sure that hotels and resorts weren't built beach-side so that public could still have access, Mui Ne's stretch of beach is now lined with resorts. We found a cheap, but wonderful bungalow for $4/night with a perfect patch of beach, hammocks and really delicious mango shakes - all a girl could ever ask for!
During our 2 day stay, we capitalized both on the abundant seafood (a seafood dinner splurge only cost me $6 including drinks, desert and a huge plate of grilled shrimp!), as well as the sun and sand. I think I almost became ATTACHED to my hammock by the second day. It was wonderful place to read, lie on the
beach or sit and watch the kite surfers and windsurfers all day. What a life. I really wanted to try kite surfing but the wind is always very strong here and is a hard place to learn. Dad - you would've loved to try your hand at the windsurfing though - it looked fantastic!
During the last week or so, I have been reading and researching about Vietnam's history which I am only starting to understand. These past two days have left me feeling somewhat conflicted and guilty about me lounging around in my bikini while reading story after story of civilian suffering under endless political instability and conflict. It just astounds me that generations have lived through intense hardships - and not in ancient history but within living history - and still treat foreigners with smiles and generosity. Something that I cannot wrap my head around but also makes me, again, feel incredibly grateful to have grown up innocent to war and to full fledged government corruption. One of the greatest things about travelling though is learning about the culture and the history of the places you visit and although it always seems to be in glaring contrast
to the luxuries that I can afford, even as a shoestring backpacker, it is important to be aware of.
Anyway, the only time we got off the beach was to wake up before 5am to go to Mui Ne's sand dunes. There, we watched a gorgeous sunrise and played in the soft sand. Enterprising kids charged us to use their crazy carpet- like sleds to try our hand at tobogganing down the dunes. It was actually pretty fast and really fun despite the large amounts of sand that ended up in my mouth and down my shorts!
I'm really sad to leave the peace and slow-paced feel of this place. Tomorrow, we're heading to the insanity of Saigon. I've heard that it is the busiest and most chaotic place in Vietnam. EGHAD! Hopefully I'll make it out alive without being maimed or killed by motorbike traffic!
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