Day 4. Finally, a day where we managed to sleep in til 7:30. After room service we haggled our way around town and hired four scooters for two days, 900.000 d.
I was initially terrified driving on the roads, as the road rules governing traffic is a bit ad hoc. My fears proved irrational as you realize the key to being seen is to be heard - the horn is the most useful ally in navigating the roads.
We initially shot up the coast from Mui Ne up to the other end of the beach where we went for a wander amongst the fishing village. Here we saw many fishing boats, cool round wicker boats used for going between fishing boat and shore, and a number of people shelling scallops. There was a bit of a stench filling the air in the noon sun, but not too bad considering the scale of the fishing going on.
Driving along our next stop was at the peninsular where we drove down to the beach for a quick blat. Tom kept getting stuck in the sand which was pretty amusing. Getting the scooters back on to the road again proved to be a sweat-inducing challenge.
Moving on again we drove along a breathtaking coastal road which was wide, straight and empty, the hot Vietnamese winds providing a cooling effect as we flew by. This is undoubtedly the best scooter ride I have ever had.
Our next stop was at the Red sand dunes, which we did not end up seeing/doing. Driving in to this attraction though triggered the local kids to sprint over. Before we knew it we were all surrounded by adorable[1] Vietnamese kids who are probably repeating their parents smoothest lines to try and sell us 'sliding' down the dunes. [1] one girl we spoke with had her iPod stolen by them yesterday. They were cheeky though, in between smiles they were playing with our scooters and maybe subtly checking our pockets..
After cruising up the coast for quite some time we decided to head back via some inland routes. Again, the scenery was absolutely beautiful. A mix between farmed land, trees and sand filled the horizon as far as the eye could see. Further inland houses started springing up, all of good size and quality for Vietnam. The locals, especially the kids, were very friendly and showered us with enthusiastic waves as we passed. We ended up reaching a 'restaurant'. Really it was a couple of tables and a sugar-cane juicer. Eager to try this drink we each ordered and sipped away at a cup while local kids glanced our way from the streets. These locals appeared to know very little English so after much pointing we managed to order 'food' - the only discernible ingredient at time of ordering was the noodles. We were all thrilled when the food arrived; despite being instant noodles, the fried egg, chives, coriander, spring onion and chilli brought this simple dish to life. (And not to count pennies, lunch for five of us with drinks came to 85.000 d / about $5.25 NZ = excellent) (we tipped, for once).
It was at this local spot that we decided to attempt what we have seen the locals achieve; overcrowding scooters. Now many scooters you see on roads would be burdened with goods such as vegetables, pipes, or families, so we decided to see if we could match the locals on this front. With Craig driving, Dustin near the front, me sandwiched and Tom braving a backwards fall we managed to get going. The looks on the locals' faces were priceless, it was the ever-perfect mix between great amusement and disbelief. The kids local kids were shouting and laughing all the while. It really was a great experience. I believe this has now been uploaded to youtube, link to come soon.
On our adventures along the back roads we ended up running out of road. A bit of off roading is always fun, provided the vehicle of choice has been hired. There wasn't anything too challenging, one just had to be mindful of the cows. I was lagging behind the others at one point and I accidentally started a small stampede heading towards the others. Fortunately it just petered out before reaching them. Anyway, along this back road we successfully reached sand dunes! Sure they were much smaller than the real attraction, but these came without thieving little children (we met one person who was robbed by the cute kids), and on virgin sands unspoilt by other tourists. We had a great blast running, jumping, falling down the dunes.
From here we headed back, Dustin unfortunately with a snake in his bike. Craig, Dustin and I went for one last blat in search of the 'real' White sand dunes. We ended up taking an unpaved road for miles at dusk which was great fun. A great way to end a great day of hired vehicles.
Dinner with friends' friends, then drinks by a place selling dodgy fish, then off to sleep, too late for cards.
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