Well it's back to the beach, folks. We learned about this Vietnamese vacation hotspot during the first few days of our arrival in Ho Chi Minh City. Its' proximity to Cambodia and one of the few international border crossings from Vietnam made it an obvious destination. Honestly, with the miles of beach, availability of little beach-side bungalows and the cost of doing it (next to nothing) we would go out of our way to make this a destination. Neither of us had been to a tropical island before so with two tickets for the fast ferry (yes, there is a slow ferry) in hand at the port of Rach Gia (Rad Ya) we were off.
As a developing country with decent economic growth Vietnam seems to be an active work-in-progress. A lot of people living in less than adequate conditions right beside some that are quite well off. Smaller towns are full of small family businesses where the living room is the bedroom is the kitchen and is right behind the store which is roadside. The scooter is the main source of transportation - barely a bicycle to be seen - and many are stacked to the max with bags and barrels of anything from vegetables to construction equipment. "To the max" is determined not necessarily by weight, but by how much can be balanced and secured. Often the driver is an indistinguishable mass amongst the freight. Roads are built to accommodate vehicles but these are few and far between so there's plenty of room for us and the scooters.
Our little bungalow is maybe 50 meters from the beach. The little restaurant is 20 meters from the water. We had a look around the island and figure this is one of the best locations and accommodations. Free Wi-Fi on the beach is a plus. I'm writing from a chair in the restaurant that is nestled into the sand, as yet another glorious sunset beams across the screen while the waves gently wash the shore. Yep, it's that good. The staff are super friendly but that is fairly typical of the Vietnamese people. For the past few weeks we have answered I don't know how many "Hello"s from school kids on their bicycles, shop keepers, pedestrians, all manner of passers-by. Eye contact is not required! A guy calling out to us from a hammock in a roadside café is not uncommon. Often, as we stop to buy water or a snack we get a solid, full-on curious stare as if we were aliens riding our road beast machines. If we say 'Hello' the magical grip of the sight is broken, the greeting reciprocated with enthusiasm; big smile, waving hand, and nodding head.
So you know you're in the tropics when... I removed a nearly dead but definitely still alive tarantula from the corner of our bungalow after sleeping beside it, blissfully unaware of its presence for two nights. Cruising down the main highway back to said bungalow after exploring the north tip of the island, Leigh rode past what she later described as 'an angry stick'. Riding behind her, I saw this stick perch itself up about a foot off the ground and assume a very aggressive defense posture complete with flared hoods. Cobras are known to come out onto the road for heat as the jungle cools in the evening. And I was all concerned about the mosquitoes!
Phu Quoc Island is growing exponentially as a tourist destination and the local industry can hardly keep up. We're here at the end of the rainy season and it's busy. The new international airport will be handling 30-40 flights a day in the high season. Hotels and restaurants are going up all over the place. The government is trying to keep up with public services (roads, hydro, water...) but that too is incomplete. The island is one big construction site. It's a beautiful place to visit but right now we have to live with the sights and sounds of massive, rapid expansion. So we hang out by the beach, close to the endless supply of veggie spring rolls and cold beer. We have managed to put some mileage on the bikes by exploring the north end. It's relatively quiet on the north west coast with a secluded beach barely anyone goes to (I'm not going to tell you where it is until we leave!). We also took a couple of snorkeling tours and like it so much we bought our own mask and snorkel (that's one of the funniest words in the English language. Say it out loud "snorkel", sounds like the name of a muppet).
There are still a few spots to check out before we move on to Cambodia but for now there is no rush to leave our little island paradise.