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..
The coastal road was ace. Eventually we were starving, took a random turn somewhere. Overtook some cows. Found a shack. No one spoke any English. With pointing we conveyed we were hungry, and we were fed with instant noodles, sauces and an egg. Delicious.
