Much better

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So time for a bit of R and R....well not just yet. We arrived at the Sea Star Hotel in Phu Quoc, and instantly fell in love. Phu Quoc is supposed to be what Phuket was many years ago before it was built up. That is not the case here. The island is made up of beach bungalow resorts, one big town, and a very chill attitude. We were able to snag a beach cottage for most of the nights days before having to move to a garden view cottage. $80/night is a splurge so far but for being two steps from the ocean, free breakfast, free wifi, and just a good overall vibe we really can't complain. Plus the 50 cent beers make up for it.

Just as we got settled in I discover I'm missing my tablet. Oh yes, it is in the seat back on the plane. (I usually am not this absent minded). The hotel staff called Air Mekong and they had it at the airport for me. So I hitch a ride to the airport with the hotel shuttle. As soon as I get dropped off I take two steps, think I should tell him to wait a minute, turn around and my ride is gone...and to top it off I didnt bring any money. So I decide to figure that out later and head in to get my item. Turns out the desk is closed until tomorrrow. So no tablet and no ride back. Luckily I see two ladies getting dropped off and they are nice enough to give me cab money to get back to the hotel!

The rest of the day was filled with lounging around, drinking Bia Saigon, and watching the sunsets from our balcony. Oh yes and the $4 beachside massages. They are amazing except they love their oil and it takes 2-3 showers to get it all off.

That night Nick, who has been feeling a bit ill, thought he needed a good meal to get back into shape - pizza. Peppers Pizza was delish and we are convinced it brought him back to health.

The next day began with a walk down the beach where we encountered some locals fishing and reeling in their catch. It was pretty amazing to watch all the hard work that went in to getting a few baskets of fish. First they cast a net from a boat and then set up a crank on the beach to reel it in. It must have taken over an hour and 2-3 guys rotating to reel it all in. Once in, they all jump into the water to grab the fish. In the process one of them managed to get stung by something. Another quickly grabbed a crab, smashed it, and put the guts on the sting. Hmmm....now we know the remedy for stings!

After strolling the beach and laying around a bit we decided we needed to see the island and more of the local way of life. No better way then like the locals- motor bike. A little scary at first but now we consider ourselves pros. We saw some small towns, hiked a waterfall, and had some tapas for lunch.

Probably the best part òf the day came at dinner at Chez Carole where we were treated to a Phillipino band singing Bryan Adams and Sheryl Crow. Nick was tempted to request the safety dance but I said maybe not a good idea. Tomorrow we are off to try Scuba Diving and maybe some more motorbiking. So far we are loving Phu Quoc - the people are so nice, prices are great, and the beach is perfect. We probably lose 5 pounds in sweat every day though!



Also our videos are not uploading the best here. We are just posting them to you tube if anyone is interested

http://www.youtube.com/user/selabanowsky?feature=watch

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Comments

[Katie]

Wow that looks awesome!