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Published: October 9th 2006
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Beach in Hồ Cốc
Sun, sand and surf. Who could ask for more? My motorcycle trip to Phan Thiet was fabulous. I was very lucky
to meet a friend from long ago who wanted to go with me. Thao
happened to be in Viet Nam at the same time and had wanted to do a
trip like this.
All my preparation paid off. The roads we took were nicely paved,
went through picturesque villages and skirted the ocean, and best of
all, hardly used by trucks or cars. On the way to Phan Thiet, we
crossed a ferry, rode into a rubber plantation and watched rubber sap
trickle into a collecting bowl. It was amazing to see that people
still collected tons of sap by hand into buckets that were carried
by honda.
We stopped often, took dirt roads that led to the ocean and even
rode on the beach, the waves lapping at our tires as the last rays of
the day turned the glistening water on the beach into gold. That first
day we travelled a mere 120 km, and stayed at a charming new resort to
wait out the lashing rain.
The second day took us along the coast with lots of detours to
undeveloped
Beach north of Kê Gà
See this wild beach before tourists swarm here. beaches populated only with boulders that bore the brunt
of the crashing waves. It rained off and on. Once we ducked under a
simple roof that sheltered a grave. Thao said he wished he were with
his woman as being so close to death reminded him how much he needed
love. The rain came suddenly, poured violently and surprised me with
how quickly it ended.
From the road I could see through the haze a beautiful green
peninsula jutting into the ocean. A local told us how to get there and
we actually found it. The green was provided by a cover of dương
trees, among which people set up simple shelters of wooden columns and
thatched roofs. There we took our drink break, walked
along the beach, watched sand swirl in the gale and deserted boats bob
along the frothy shore. As usual, two different vendors competed for
our business. We went with the one with the cute waitress, of course.
Liễu was 17, shy and innocent of her simple beauty. Maybe that was
what would draw Thao back there on our return trip the next day.
After what seemed an interminable unpaved rock-bed road
Patterns on the sand
Nature's abstract painting among the sand dunes of Mui Ne. east, we
found a highway that turned decidedly north. The turning point was Kê
Gà, the site of Viet Nam's tallest lighthouse. Little did we realize
that the rocky promontory that hosted the lighthouse was a hint to the
coast that ushered us into Phan Thiet.
From the road we could see large boulders lined the beach so
close we fancied we could stretch our arms to caress them. Rocks of many
colors, shapes and sizes were clustered, strewned, interspersed with
flora growing wild on the beach. A few kilometers north of Kê Gà,
resorts under construction greeted us with their gaudy designs and
emptiness. Developers have discovered this stretch of dramatic coast
and have flocked here to offer an alternative to crowded Mũi Né to the
east of Phan Thiet. With so many resorts being built we were wondering
if enough tourists would come to keep them all in business. Maybe the
state of one resort was indicative of the tough time to come. Its
buildings were left unfinished, the money probably ran out a while
ago. The only signs of life were squatters' tattered laundry
fluttering in the cement shell that would never be painted and
Sand dunes in Mũi Né
The dunes in a rare moment of sunshine would
never host any door, or window or soft-skinned prettily-dressed guests
waiting to be waited on.
We reached Mũi Né by nightfall.
We rode up and down Mũi Né's hotel zone looking for Mũi Né
Sailing Club. Its one remaining room was cozy but had only one bed.
The next candidate, Swiss Village, was built in a cheesy Chinese style
and simply tasteless. As night deepened and our patience became
threadbare, we stopped at the Victoria and were ecstatic when told
there was an ocean-front room available. We took it, but alas, the
lock was broken and we couldn't get in. We went to dinner while the
hotel manager assured us that the room would be ready upon our return.
And so it was. The siren song of the raging ocean a few feet
from our door, raging under the influence of the strongest typhoon ever to
hit Viet Nam a few hundred kilometers north of us, lulled us to a peaceful sleep.
Before sunrise, I woke up, took an outdoor shower surrounded by
blossoms of pink oleander, purple and white bougainvillea and yellow
trumpet vines. In the misty rain I rode to the sand dunes 20 km east.
The dunes were the color of rouge, Mother Earth's make-up to contrast
with her blue eye that was the ocean only a mile away. The remains of
rain left intricate patterns of light and dark on the smooth sand. Wind sculpted the
dunes while foggy swirls of blowing sand skimmed
over their ridges as if applied by an air brush, and obliterated the
footprints I impressed barely an hour ago.
The sun broke through the clouds, bounced off the palm fronds and
gleamed on our silverware as we ate breakfast perching above the
trees and overlooking the beach. We listened to the waves and laughed,
probably at nothing in particular, giddy with joy. The clouds parted,
the ocean sang, the sun poured its warmth over our happiness.
Trip of a lifetime, don't you think?
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joycung
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your vn trip
Hi,Canh long time no see!!! I love your wonderful trip,it's sooo beautiful . chi VUI,