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Published: January 25th 2007
Long Jump - Dune style
so Much FUN! Jumping off the sand lips, getting huge air, then landing in soft sand - definitely a highlight. * note * Be sure to check out my
previous blog , the e-mail update wasn’t sent out because the website is messed up.
So after plenty of touring around South Vietnam, we decided to begin our trek along the coast towards the capital city of Hanoi. Our first stop was Mui Ne, a cool, laid back beach town about 6 hours from Ho Chi Minh City. The bus ride was easy going, we met lots of other travelers and even some whom we’d met before. It’s interesting because people seem to be doing the same “circuit” through Indochina so we’re running into quite a few familiar faces.
We quickly booked ourselves into the basic bungalow, with which we’ve become so familiar. Right on the beach, we were able to enjoy some water time and some sun bathing. Time to get that tan back! After some trademark Phô (Vietnamese noodle soup - very good) I did a bunch of body surfing, which wasn’t extreme but fun nonetheless.
We booked ourselves a private jeep to bring us off the coast to the awesome sand canyon and sand dunes. After a quick pitstop at a streetside drink shop, we were on our
Sun...Set!
I aid the sun with its last few degrees of setting. way with many bottles of cheap beer and a few of wine. (we’re talking 50 cents for 600ml beer bottles and 2-3 dollars for wine) We stopped at a cool fishing village, which was just a huge sprawl of fishing boats awaiting action, but a cool sight regardless. The sand canyon was more like clay, and was really tough to climb, but Ryan and I persisted and made the ascent to the top where the view of the ocean was great. We left with some great photos and red clay covered skin.
Next stop was the much anticipated red sand dunes, where it’s said that you can “sled” the sand. Immediately we were swarmed by local kids, all of them insisting we sled on their “carzy carpet” and nobody else’s. We each found a select little guide who showed us the way, and before long we were having a blast. The sledding was fun, but not nearly as extreme as the dune jumping. The wind creates many cornice-like lips from which we all took huge 50ft leaps down the sand dunes. SO fun! Think of it as a twisted form of long jump.
After finishing our beers, and
Sand Canyon
Red sand/clay rose out of the ground like stalagmites and offered a great view of the ocean. being almost exhausted, we sat around for the sunset, which was no disapointment. The kids actually took some great photos of us (I gave them way too much money, maybe it was the booze..?) We brought with us some good memories, but I did leave behind my sweet sunglasses!
We continued the drinking into the night with a visit to what seemed like the only local bar - Pogo. After a round of “Jasons” (sambucca shot followed by a chugging of rum & coke) and many more cocktails, we were in a happy place. A place that made Ryan do a “Walk Off.” His attempt at removing his underwear without taking off his jeans turned out to be one of the funniest and most entertaining things in a long time. After what seemed like an hour, many bruises, and even more laughs, he finally held in his hand the shredded remnants of his brand jew Christmas jockeys. *Check out
Ryan's Blog for the detailed photoshoot. * We ended up back at the bungalows pretty late, but not too late for a moonlight swim, which was still refreshing at 2am.
Our final day was spend hanging around the bungalow, a
Beach Bums
After a long bus ride we take it easy on the beach before the dunes. few people took motorbike rides into town for this and that, and we all enjoyed another meal of Phô.
Next stop, Nha Trang, which could be our last warm weather hangout before heading to the cool north.
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britt
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dune jumping
it sounds like you all had the most amazing time.. i can not WAIT to see the pics from this adventure! ps. love that red clay, in germany when i was little i used to play in a pile of it that was used for maintaining the clay tennis courts.. definately doesn't come out of white clothes! xo miss you!