So, back to Vietnam in 2018 for the 20 somethingth time.
Couple of things to do in Saigon and Hanoi, Sơn Mỹ / Mỹ Lại, Tu Lan Cave Adventure with Oxalis, ten days or so in the middle as yet completely unplanned.
And Mũi Đôi. Again. After my failure last year to complete my visits to the last of the most Northerly, Southerly, Westerly, Easterly points in Vietnam, this year would be different. Failure to plan - plan to fail. Which to choose this year? Sure to be one or the other.
So, fly up to Tuy Hòa with JetStar. Left 7 minutes late, arrived 17 minutes early. Booked into the Thanh Lam hotel. Dump my bag and head out to eat at Quán Chay Bình Hòa. I'm never sure if it's a temple with attached restaurant or a restaurant with attached temple. Food is excellent as always. And cheap as chips. Cheaper. And healthier.
Next morning, up before the larks to take in the Phu Yen museum, breakfast and organize transport to Đam Mon. The Phu Yen museum is a cavernous building which dwarfs all it contains. Did not seem to be overrun with visitors.
And so, back to hotel to pick up my bag. Slightly off the beaten tracks, the hotel folks want some photos of me, presumably to use for publicity showing what fun is to be had there. That's fine by me. They were lovely folks and the hotel was perfect. I tower like a giant over the manageress and I tower over few.
We pass a new resort being constructed. I am not sure there will ever be enough folks to fill it. And they'll never get my business.
Arrive in Đam Mon. Where do you want to go? asks my xe ôm. I fish out the phone number for the homestay. No answer. A local stops to help. He sees the homestay owner's name: Phan Hùng Thi. His eyes light up. Hop on he says. I hop. My xe ôm follows behind. We scoot for a couple of minutes and get to Phan Hùng Thi's house. It's not a homestay. It used to be a homestay. I am shown the evidence - recognizable stuff from the photos piled up and covered in spider web.
My xe ôm sees this as the perfect time to leave - his work is done. The local leaves - his work too is done. Thi shows me round and explains that I need somewhere else to sleep. More hopping and scooting as he drops me round at Nhà nghỉ Thanh Sươn.
I am soon booked in. No names, no passports, no locks. Great big ensuite room. I have a shower and chill. Owner knocks on door. I am given to understand that she would like to give my room to a newly arrived couple and move me to another room. No problem. I am moved to a smaller nonsuite room. I resume my chilling.
I have looked at the routes to Mũi Đôi. There appear to be two: the one I failed on last year and another lightly marked path which heads for the beach before petering out. I decide to fail better this year and pick the first path. I go out to check I am clear where the trail starts. I am. Perfect. Purchase supplies. 6 litres of water and some biscuits. Settle on a 5 am start to beat the sun.
Dinner time. An chay? No problem. Seems like most of the other guests are working on the new resort. Join us. One of them has pretty good English. One has some English but, he's the boss and doesn't like to show himself up in front of his underlings. They are all friendly. And alcohol is consumed in a responsible manner. Always a concern after that epic night in Xin Man in 2011. But my experience of construction folks is that getting hammered on rice wine every night isn't something they can do.
The owner asks if I need a guide for Mũi Đôi. Internally, I snort - need a guide? I have long experience of doing this sort of thing on my own and getting completely lost without any need of a guide, thank you. Externally, No thanks, I'll be fine.
Up and off at 05:00. I am soon at the site where I went off piste last year. Fool me once, shame on me. Won't get fooled again, I muse. I pick my way down the washed out track. It soon becomes impenetrable. Well, at least I can't penetrable it. Fooled again. Right. Quick think. All hope will not abandoned here.
I backtrack and moonwalk down the sand slope to the other path. The one that peters out. Well, let's see. Easy going and the path eventually plops me onto a beautiful beach. The sort of beach I like for skinny dipping. Almost deserted. There is a shack with signs of life and a fishing boat anchored off shore.
I look for where the path peters. Impenetrable thicket of thorns or scramble over house/car/fridge sized rocks. I am already thicketed out, so that way is a no go. Over the rocks? Looks like a long way. Google tells me it is 2.9 km and I'll be able to do it in 40 minutes. I am alone. I have seen Danny Boyle's "127 Hours" and I do not have even a Vietnamese Army knife. 40 minutes seems unlikely.
Is there a path to Mũi Đôi? I ask at the shack? Over the rocks. Any other way? Sad shaking of heads. All overgrown. Go by boat, they suggest indicating the boat. How much would that be? I ask. 500,000.
That seems like a lot to me, but I am in the uncomfortable situation of :
The couple whose arrival resulted in my ousting from my room tumble on to the beach. They too want to take the boat. I've just paid for a whole boat, but they have to pay too. The skipper is very happy. We are coracled out to the boat. All aboard, we set off. Round the point and along past more house/car/fridge rocks until we drop anchor and coracle ashore on another small beach. From here, it's only about 550m of rocks to clamber. So, 2.9k of rocks from the pickup beach, - 550m from the drop off beach = 2.35km of rocks avoided. 500,000 spent. So 212 đồng per metre of rock avoided.
The Vietnamese couple, who have walked much less than I, need a nap. We crash out in the shade. I have no idea how we get back to the flesh pots of Đam Mon from here, but each problem in its own time. Vợ is going to carry on napping. Chồng, who I learn is called Thanh and I set off. I like to solotravel, but I'm happy to have him with me. No need for a backup Vietnamese Army knife here, Thanh can get help if things go awry. Or I for him, I guess. But the rocks are dry and gritty and the main problem is just the heat. And it was hot.
Finally we arrive at the the last house sized rock. A flaky rope ladder dangles into the waves. Another rope allows access to the bottom of the ladder with dry feet.
Climb up the ladder, ignoring the frayed condition of the rope and pull my self up. Thanh joins me. The eagles have landed. We swap tales of A Pa Chải, etc. Kindred spirits.
Can't help smiling. It's a beautiful day, the sun is shining, the sea is blue, there is a bit of a breeze. And I have now stood at the four corners of Vietnam. Life is good.
Still need to get down that ladder, but nothing can hurt me now, so am unafraid. Down the ladder we go and Thanh decides it's time for another nap. We snooze under huge rocks with the waves lapping near by. Life gets no better than this.
Like the bear hunt, we must now retrace our steps. We look for signs of a track leading out, but it's all impenetrable. So, over the rocks back to base camp where Vợ has woken. Lunch. They are better prepared than I. But it's fine. How do we get out of here? Well, local knowledge is always good.
Apparently, we can wave at a fishing boat heading home at about 16:00 and we can get a lift back from them. More snoozing. A fishing boat is flagged down. Thanh negotiates. 1.2 million for the three of us. Maybe my 500,000 for a whole boat wasn't so bad.
We head on round the coast to Hòn Ghềnh and make our precarious way ashore by coracle again. I'd like to say I'm getting good at this, but it's still pretty precarious getting in from the boat. Thanh gets us transport back to Đam Mon on the back of a three wheeled motorbike transporter - 3 of us for 50k. There's a box of fish onboard too. Thanh buys some for a derisory amount. We are soon back at base. It's been a long day, but I feel that I should have a huge "Mission Accomplished" banner to hoist.
Dinner with my construction buddies. I am invited for coffee in the morning. 06:00? Perfect, I say. That's my usual holiday getting up time in Vietnam.
Up at 06:00 for coffee by the sea. My construction buddy, Vung, offers me a lift back to Tuy Hòa train station. It's only 60km away, so a 120 km round trip for him. A little longer since we take in a few places along the way. Miss my train of course, so I get a few hours of eating and coffee in Tuy Hòa before catching the train north for Quảng Ngãi. It's been fun. Promise Diệp I'll take her there next time. Before the resort opens.
Next stop Quảng Ngãi for Sơn Mỹ / Mỹ Lại. Not for fun.
Couple of things to do in Saigon and Hanoi, Sơn Mỹ / Mỹ Lại, Tu Lan Cave Adventure with Oxalis, ten days or so in the middle as yet completely unplanned.
And Mũi Đôi. Again. After my failure last year to complete my visits to the last of the most Northerly, Southerly, Westerly, Easterly points in Vietnam, this year would be different. Failure to plan - plan to fail. Which to choose this year? Sure to be one or the other.
So, fly up to Tuy Hòa with JetStar. Left 7 minutes late, arrived 17 minutes early. Booked into the Thanh Lam hotel. Dump my bag and head out to eat at Quán Chay Bình Hòa. I'm never sure if it's a temple with attached restaurant or a restaurant with attached temple. Food is excellent as always. And cheap as chips. Cheaper. And healthier.
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| Quán Chay Bình Hòa, Tuy Hòa |
Next morning, up before the larks to take in the Phu Yen museum, breakfast and organize transport to Đam Mon. The Phu Yen museum is a cavernous building which dwarfs all it contains. Did not seem to be overrun with visitors.
And so, back to hotel to pick up my bag. Slightly off the beaten tracks, the hotel folks want some photos of me, presumably to use for publicity showing what fun is to be had there. That's fine by me. They were lovely folks and the hotel was perfect. I tower like a giant over the manageress and I tower over few.
Bag loaded and xe ôm off to Đam Mon. I know where I'm going. After last years fiasco, I have discovered a hostelly/homestay place which looks lovely. I had had friend Diệp ring them up and check about booking. No need. Just turn up. Well, here we are, just turning up.
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Arrive in Đam Mon. Where do you want to go? asks my xe ôm. I fish out the phone number for the homestay. No answer. A local stops to help. He sees the homestay owner's name: Phan Hùng Thi. His eyes light up. Hop on he says. I hop. My xe ôm follows behind. We scoot for a couple of minutes and get to Phan Hùng Thi's house. It's not a homestay. It used to be a homestay. I am shown the evidence - recognizable stuff from the photos piled up and covered in spider web.
My xe ôm sees this as the perfect time to leave - his work is done. The local leaves - his work too is done. Thi shows me round and explains that I need somewhere else to sleep. More hopping and scooting as he drops me round at Nhà nghỉ Thanh Sươn.
I am soon booked in. No names, no passports, no locks. Great big ensuite room. I have a shower and chill. Owner knocks on door. I am given to understand that she would like to give my room to a newly arrived couple and move me to another room. No problem. I am moved to a smaller nonsuite room. I resume my chilling.
I have looked at the routes to Mũi Đôi. There appear to be two: the one I failed on last year and another lightly marked path which heads for the beach before petering out. I decide to fail better this year and pick the first path. I go out to check I am clear where the trail starts. I am. Perfect. Purchase supplies. 6 litres of water and some biscuits. Settle on a 5 am start to beat the sun.
Dinner time. An chay? No problem. Seems like most of the other guests are working on the new resort. Join us. One of them has pretty good English. One has some English but, he's the boss and doesn't like to show himself up in front of his underlings. They are all friendly. And alcohol is consumed in a responsible manner. Always a concern after that epic night in Xin Man in 2011. But my experience of construction folks is that getting hammered on rice wine every night isn't something they can do.
The owner asks if I need a guide for Mũi Đôi. Internally, I snort - need a guide? I have long experience of doing this sort of thing on my own and getting completely lost without any need of a guide, thank you. Externally, No thanks, I'll be fine.
Up and off at 05:00. I am soon at the site where I went off piste last year. Fool me once, shame on me. Won't get fooled again, I muse. I pick my way down the washed out track. It soon becomes impenetrable. Well, at least I can't penetrable it. Fooled again. Right. Quick think. All hope will not abandoned here.
I backtrack and moonwalk down the sand slope to the other path. The one that peters out. Well, let's see. Easy going and the path eventually plops me onto a beautiful beach. The sort of beach I like for skinny dipping. Almost deserted. There is a shack with signs of life and a fishing boat anchored off shore.
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| Perfect for skinny dipping? |
Is there a path to Mũi Đôi? I ask at the shack? Over the rocks. Any other way? Sad shaking of heads. All overgrown. Go by boat, they suggest indicating the boat. How much would that be? I ask. 500,000.
That seems like a lot to me, but I am in the uncomfortable situation of :
- obviously having few alternatives
- obviously already having sunk costs in this venture
and - having no idea what a reasonable price for hiring a fishing boat might be (5 million a day I learned later.)
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| At the negotiating table. |
One of the fishing guys wakes up, strips off completely, soaps himself all over and washes himself down. I can see the fishing boat behind him. It's slightly surreal. Well, perhaps I could have done my skinny dipping after all. We're obviously all friends here. We're still at 500,000. I finally relent and agree. One of the guys phones the skipper of the boat. A coracle is dispatched to fetch me.
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| Coracle |
The Vietnamese couple, who have walked much less than I, need a nap. We crash out in the shade. I have no idea how we get back to the flesh pots of Đam Mon from here, but each problem in its own time. Vợ is going to carry on napping. Chồng, who I learn is called Thanh and I set off. I like to solotravel, but I'm happy to have him with me. No need for a backup Vietnamese Army knife here, Thanh can get help if things go awry. Or I for him, I guess. But the rocks are dry and gritty and the main problem is just the heat. And it was hot.
Finally we arrive at the the last house sized rock. A flaky rope ladder dangles into the waves. Another rope allows access to the bottom of the ladder with dry feet.
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| The end is in sight. |
Can't help smiling. It's a beautiful day, the sun is shining, the sea is blue, there is a bit of a breeze. And I have now stood at the four corners of Vietnam. Life is good.
Still need to get down that ladder, but nothing can hurt me now, so am unafraid. Down the ladder we go and Thanh decides it's time for another nap. We snooze under huge rocks with the waves lapping near by. Life gets no better than this.
Like the bear hunt, we must now retrace our steps. We look for signs of a track leading out, but it's all impenetrable. So, over the rocks back to base camp where Vợ has woken. Lunch. They are better prepared than I. But it's fine. How do we get out of here? Well, local knowledge is always good.
Apparently, we can wave at a fishing boat heading home at about 16:00 and we can get a lift back from them. More snoozing. A fishing boat is flagged down. Thanh negotiates. 1.2 million for the three of us. Maybe my 500,000 for a whole boat wasn't so bad.
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| Mission accomplished |
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| So long and thanks for all the fish. |
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| Early morning coffee view |
Up at 06:00 for coffee by the sea. My construction buddy, Vung, offers me a lift back to Tuy Hòa train station. It's only 60km away, so a 120 km round trip for him. A little longer since we take in a few places along the way. Miss my train of course, so I get a few hours of eating and coffee in Tuy Hòa before catching the train north for Quảng Ngãi. It's been fun. Promise Diệp I'll take her there next time. Before the resort opens.
Next stop Quảng Ngãi for Sơn Mỹ / Mỹ Lại. Not for fun.
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