HEAVEN IS AN ISLAND OFF THE VIETNAM MAINLAND

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To get to Phu Quoc we had to take a bus down to the port of Rach Gia which we were told by the travel agent would take 6 hours. When the bus arrived one and a half hours late it was a small local mini bus and it was packed. We think we may have got our wires crossed with another bus we were booking at the same time into Cambodia. So after a few gripes and Tim rufusing to sit on a drop down seat for 6 hours (subsequenly local guys were asked to move) we set off. It wasn't comfortable but it was okay. I ended up with the wheelarch and therefore sat with my knees up around my bloody neck. Tim has a guy keep fall asleep on his shoulder!! The journey took 9 hours in the end and by the time we got Rach Gia we were both very glad to get off the bus. There had been no room for luggage so our back packs had been layed in the aisle and most people had trampled over them during the stops along the way. They were filthy!!! Our agent had advised us a hotel that we wouldnt have any problems with passport copies (some hotels wont take you without the original). The bus dropped us off outsideand the room was very nice for $10. We left our stuff and went in search of food. We found a small cafe up the road and had quite an experience as the menu had no english or pictures. In the end we found ourselves doing impressions of chickens and cows much to the amusement of the locals. It worked out okay though (Tim has his chicken impression down to a fine art now) and the meal was really nice. We were due to leave quite early the following morning to get the boat so we took ourselves off for a good nights sleep. Up bright and early the day did not start well when the receptionist at the hotel tried to charge us a higher rate than we had agreed. It seemed that they had shown us the wrong rate of room and it should have been $20! After much silence and confusion as we refused to pay the additional money and they would not give us our change Tim took our money back and gave her the exact amount and we walked out. We really hate things like this when they happen but it was a damn nice room!!!!

The boat port was busy and we were directed to where our boat was docked. There were masses of people and luggage (including mopeds) being loaded onto the deck. We showed them our tickets and found our seats. The personal luggage was loaded at the front of the boat and it was pretty stress free which was a nice surprise. The journey to Phu Quoc takes two and a half hours and the entertainment was tragically bad but we got there in one piece and without Tim throttling two young locals sat next to us who literally played loud music on their mobiles all the way (coupled with the entertainment on TV it wasnt exactly a peaceful ride!!! As soon as you get off the boat you are jumped on by the Taxi and Moped drivers. They wanted 200 dong for a taxi to our hotel which is over 6 quid so we declined and kept walking off the jetty. Neither of us were keen on taking mopeds especially with our backpacks! By the time we got towards the edge of the jetty we managed to get the guy down to 100 dong and accepted a ride in his very nice mini bus. Getting better at this now we think!!!!!

There was a little bit of concern at our hotel that we had no original passport and they told us that if they got visted by the police we would have to explain the circumstances. Other than that the room was nice, the pool area looked clean and quiet and by the time we got down to the beach we were literally ecstatic. The beach as you can see from the photos is pristine and quiet. There are quite a few people staying here but when they are all in the shade the beach looks divine. The weather was unbearably hot by the time we got to the beach as it was mid afternoon so spotting a sign for BAR down the beach we set off for a few beers to celebrate our great decision to come to the island.

Our hotel was basic but offered a free breakfast which is always a bonus for budget travelling. It is hard to get what you want all the time due to the language barrier and levels of service arnt what you would call good throughout Vietnam. On the whole once you get used to accepting that they may ignore you for 10 minutes before taking your order, that you may ask for milk but dont get it, that you expect seperate sugar and they put it in for you etc... you soon get used to it. The only thing we could not understand was the sunbeds had no comfy covers on them they were just hard wood or the other option was deck chairs so we went in search of other places to sunbathe a couple of days later and found a lovely bar extremely quiet and peaceful right at the end of the beach which was a good 20 minute walk away. They had comfy sunbeds and you got only a little hassle from the beach people wanting to give you manicures, pedicures, massage etc......The walk was good exercise too!!!!

The internet connection at the hotel wasnt the best and the only day I tried to sort out some of the blog (which was getting behind rapidly) almost caused an argument with a German guy who obviously thought I had hogged one of the two computers for far too long. As I got off the seat he made a very rude comment which I couldnt quite make out, Tim got annoyed and asked him what he had said and the guy just sat there stoney faced refusing to acknowledge he had been spoken to. We decided it probably was a bit unfair to use the computer for an hour (so we didnt do it again) but that didnt stop this guy being very rude evertime we cam e across him at the hotel. He had been quite niceon the first day too!!! It was quite humurous in the end. He was the type that every morning went and put his towels out on the same two deckchairs and ensured nobody took his table by leaving his wifes bag on it. Then proceeded to wonder round the complex like lord of the manor!!!

Our last couple of days were spoilt slightly by the fact that we both had bad stomachs (Tim worse than me). He had a bit of a temperature so I had to play Florence and look after him but we figured we had definately eaten something that disagreed. So we avoided further food until we felt better which pretty much was the morning we were leaving.

Not a massive amount more to tell you. Tim didnt do any diving as the visability was no better than Nha Trang so we sat and talked for hours, played cards, sunbathed, drank (just a little) and generally relaxed travelling really is hard work you know.

Neithe of us were looking forward to the return journey. The boat trip was pre-booked but we had to move the tickets as we needed the morning boat and had been booked on the afternoon. This would have meant returing to Rach Gia for 5.30pm and then having a 6-9 hour journey back to Ho Chi Minh. By the time we would have arrived the travel agent would have been closed and we were leaving the following morning for Cambodia hence needing our passports. We managed to get it sorted okay with a local agent with only a small charge for moving our tickets. She then booked us the return bus from Rach Gia. The boat left on time two and a half hours of max and paddy and we were back to the dock, picked up by two mopeds (we only use them if we absolutely have to) and taken to the bus stop. After an hour of waiting the bus arrived it was a bit bigger than the one we had on the way down. The ticket lady had tipped the local people off first and leaving Tim to load the backpacks I went to try and get us a decent seat. After refusing to sit at the back cramped up I gestured towards two spaces at the front which the guy shook his head at, eventually after a little gentle persuasion (mainly refusing to sit anywhere else) he left me have them and we had quite a comfy ride back to Ho Chi Minh, especially when the two people sharing with us got off about 4 hours into the journey - feet up, stretched out it was great.

I have included a picture of the car ferry that takes you over the river we were not quite sure whereabouts this was but it is a novelty as you have to get out of the bus and walk over to the ferry. Where you then disembark the other side and get back on the bus. The journey back took just under 6 hours which was also good news as we had time to get our passports, check back into out hotel got the the ATM, change our money into dollars and even get myself a nice cottage pie for my dinner, yummy........

So we were leaving the next day for Phnom Phenn in Cambodia.....................

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Photos

Glorious food
made us ill though !!!

taking our own photo again
this is getting to be a habit - we are officially sad!!!!