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Published: December 16th 2012
The bus journey from Da Lat seemed straight forward enough and we were just outside of Mui Ne when the driver lost control of the bus as he was texting, clipping the kerb hard which sent the left wheels of the bus over the central reservation, so just the right side wheels were on the road. Everything on the left side of the bus (including above the seats) came hurtling over to the right side (including people), luggage which had been stacked up at the back came flying forward hitting people while we all ducked and held on tightly, we thought the bus was going to topple over but it swerved and spun until it finally braked to a sharp stop in the middle of the road. The engine was smoking and everyone was a bit shaken up but not hurt luckily; really this had been inevitable since the speed that the buses go here is mental and the driver just uttered a quick 'sorry' before re-starting the bus and driving the final 5km to Mui Ne, at a slightly less terrifying speed. Anyway we lived to tell the tale and it could have been worse but we are glad we
only have to take one more bus now!
For the past four days we have done nothing except laze around on white sand beaches in the sun, reading books, occasionally getting up for a dip in the sea (or to be knocked over by massive waves) and working on our tans. Lazy we know, but we have loved it! The beach in Mui Ne is very nice and as there is not heaps to do here (and sunbathing is one of our favourite past times), we have been soaking up the rays and eating until we are fit to burst. A break from travelling indeed, although we are still being good with our budget, its a struggle to spend money out here anyway. We have found some yummy cheap places to eat and have enjoyed one or two nights out, relaxing on big cushions in beach bars listening to some good music whilst sipping happy hour cocktails - it's been tough! The sunsets have been stunning and if we haven't been watching them from the beach we have been napping in our room after a hard day of sunbathing.
We are coming to the end of our time
in 'Nam now and also probably the near the end of travelling with a group. Its been great fun these past few weeks and we have made some good friends who we will keep in touch with and hope to meet on our travels further down the line, but it will be nice to go back to the two of us again for a while. We have had some nice meals with everyone this week and also one evening which turned into a boys night where between 6 of them they managed to fill a table full of about 42 beers but only got charged for 18! Another evening we all went to Ganesh, our favourite Indian restaurant which we also visited in Hoi An and Nha Trang, to celebrate Leigh's birthday - he spent the day in a tiny pair of speedo's for a bet which he hated but we all found hilarous! We have had some 'us' time too and enjoyed a few drinks at Dragon beach bar until 1am, lounging on a bed in the outdoor bar listening to the waves crash just metres away from us which was bliss, and eating fresh seafood in the many
bbq restaurants.
There are a few activities we could have done here but in all honesty we just haven't been bothered. Mui Ne is known for its sand dunes of which there are two sets - red and white - and we were going to visit them as in Peru a couple of years ago we had a great time at some sand dunes, but although these looked nice from photo's we heard from several people you couldn't really slide down them, it was super hot and also really windy, so we gave them a miss. Due to the wind here, kite surfing, normal surfing and wind surfing are all popular activities, but aside from being expensive, a couple of hours learning isn't going to make you a pro and unless you are good at it and can stand up and ride the waves on these things (which we couldn't) we didn't see the point in spending money on them. Luckily for us only one day out of the four was really windy and we left the beach early, the other days the wind was quite calm for this time of year we heard.
Like Nha Trang there
are a lot of Russian's here and one end of Mui Ne is pretty much dedicated to them, with Russian shops and signs and menu's which we found odd, but as there are flights direct to Mui Ne now from Moscow its no wonder they want to get away from the cold during winter. Even so, the whole town was pretty quiet with hotels and restaurants not full and bars pretty low key as well - strange considering its Christmas in less than 2 weeks. Talking of Christmas, we have seen the most xmas tree's and decorations here as we walk past some of the fancier hotels, and have even heard xmas songs in the shops - the only thing reminding us of the time of year!
We have to mention that this is our 100th blog, a milestone in the blogging world for us and we have enjoyed writing every one of them. Thanks to everyone who takes the time to read them and comments on them, it means a lot to us and we hope you keep on enjoying the next 100!
S&V's Travel Info & Tips: General Info: Approx 33,000 VND to £1 / 21,000 VND to $1. Mui Ne 'strip' is 6km long and the bus dropped us right at one end of it, so we had a long walk to get to the part we wanted to (in the middle)! Stay between Dragon Beach Bar and Wax bar for a good location close to restaurants and on a nice part of the beach.
Transportation: The bus took 4 1/2 hours from Da Lat to Mui Ne and cost $6. You can walk in Mui Ne or jump on moto-taxi's to get around. Food: Lots of good food options here. We liked Lam Tong on the beach for cheap and tasty local food and shakes, Mr Tam across the road for salads, baguettes and burgers and Vietnam Home for fresh seafood. The fruit ladies along the beach are really sweet and sell yummy fruit and good prices and as usual we found a good Banh stall just opposite our hotel for breakfast (15,000 VND). Accomodation: Beach side hotels were pricey so we stayed across the road in a clean and simple guesthouse called Gio Bien, run by a friendly guy. It had air con, wi fi, tv and hot water for $10 a night, good for Mui Ne.
Other observations: x) Restaurants seem to close about 9.30pm - people don't eat late here. xx) If swimming watch out for the strong under current - the waves are fun but can be dangerous and we were both knocked off our feet while trying to get out the sea many times.
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Anastasia78
Anastasia78
Beautiful photos!
Your trip continues to look amazing! And so do your tans... :)