ABH, Musings on the Search for Perfection, and Making Local Children Cry


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Asia » Vietnam » South Central Coast » Binh Thuan » Mui Ne
May 30th 2007
Published: May 30th 2007
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Mui NeMui NeMui Ne

...quite nice
Bamboo Village Beach Resort, Mui Ne. Strip of white sand, warm ocean, sunbed, Harper Lee. Chilled all morning.

This place is so dozey, we decided to take a chance and rent mopeds for a sunset visit to the Red Dunes. Cav's motor-steed took exception to his concurrent accelerating and turning and buckarooed him to the tarmac, begating a seven year old's grazed knee. After Mrs Furlong jetted out to apply some Savlon, Cav rode pinion whilst the 2 big brothers mastered the moped arts. Actually, the contraptions are quite lethal and frighteningly responsive. Still, we survived the 12km phut-phut with no further injuries until we arrived at the Red Dunes where 40,000 local brats swarmed around our ill-controlled scooters demanding we ride their slide down the dunes. This pre-pubescent, bleating herd was belatedly marshalled by a local mom wielding a hefty bamboo stick. Each Rushstick selected a small child and we trudged up the rusty dunes.

Several slides ensued. The traditional sitting posture was abandoned as too easy. A 3 man bob was successfully executed, albeit deficient the snow, dubious moustaches and presence of Karl & Graham necessary to achieve a full reprise of our Slovenian sport. We slid on our bellies and finally found the opportunity to make complete fools of ourselves by attempting to "surf" down standing up. We each made it about halfway before plummeting into the dunes in a plume of red sand.

The even distribution of fiscal recompense to the kids proved a complex calculation. I paid my lil' fella 30k Dong (a quid) whilst Cav & Stace shared their slides between two locals each, who were distinctly unimpressed with the 70k they were invited to share. Tears, tantrums and some terrace quality blasphemy followed, but consciences were clear - any more moulah and the kids would be encouraged to quit school to become "professional" slide guides.

Vietnam's population exploded from 20m to 85m after the American War. "2 children - that's enough" posters, and several bored adolescents, hang at every intersection.

P.S. Melted a sizable patch of skin on the back of my right calf on the hot exhaust of a parked moped - even when stationary, these things are dangerous!!


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