Loving Phu Quoc...the pearl island!

Hello All!

We have arrived in "the pearl" of Vietnam and it is beautiful! Day one we checked in to our very fancy hotel and we sat on the beach and watched the most magnificent sunset! The water here is clear, shallow, and like a bath it is so warm. It is very hot here, but we love it!

Our first 2 days here were just spent relaxing on the beach, getting in and out of the water. The 2nd afternoon, there was a big rain storm. We ran out and swam in the monsoon, the drops were cold, yet the ocean so warm! Really beautiful, we tried to take pics but there was no way to truly capture the moment! The hotel surprised us with candles and rose petals in our room our first night! The hotel looks like french colonial buildings set in lush tropical gardens...very nice! Every evening there is a piano player in the cocktail lounge and we sat outside on the veranda and drank champagne! But the prices here were a bit high compared to literally everywhere, so we moved on.
We have moved to a more simple hotel just down the beach called Cassia Cottages. Very charming here. As we were checking in, Peter got yet another phone call! From the other hotel, but it is always funny when Peter receives calls...it has happened 3 times while traveling now! This hotel also decorated our room with flowers and leaves that spelled out "happy honeymoon" on the bed!
Yesterday, we motivated and rented a motorbike and went to the south end of the island. On our way, we stopped at a pearl farm owned by a New Zealander. It is right on the water and absolutely beautiful! And....he has a monkey!!!!!!!!! Sara wouldn't leave and just spent about an hour with the monkey climbing on her, grooming her, and falling asleep! At one point, Baboo the monkey, drank some of Sara's beer! No worries, only a small amount was consumed!
Apparently Grant, the owner of the pearl farm, rescues baby monkeys whose mothers have been killed by hunters. After a while, he then releases the baby back into the jungle. It took some doing, but Peter finally managed to pull Sara away from the monkey!

This island is pretty spectacular! Giant mountains full of jungle are all protected as a national park. Small huts line the beaches (we want one)! And cows and chickens just roam free everywhere!

We do love it here! It is a great last stop for sure. Very relaxing, but lots to see and do still!

Last night, we enjoyed dinner with our feet in the sand and the local dogs adopted us! No surprise that Sara has fallen in love with all living things here!
This is post one of many of Phu Quoc!!! We are loving it here!

Love to you all!
p+s

Mui Ne....Mui NO!

It was tough to leave a piece of paradise we found in Nha Trang! But forging on, we made the 4 hour drive south to Mui Ne...or as we have affectionately called it, Mui NO! The drive there was beautiful. Roads full of giant ox pulling farmers and their carts, fields of rice paddies, ducks, water buffalo, and fruit trees. Cows and pigs always had the right of way, and somehow just know to get out of the way, no leashes necessary. All of the dogs here are the same! Very smart!

Despite it being Vietnam's main highway there are no lines, lights, or rules! Passing can happen anywhere at anytime on any side!

We finally arrive in Mui Ne, expecting to discover yet another tropical oasis, unfortunately it fell a bit short! Our cottage was clean, sweet, and simple...a little thatched roof bungalow. We liked it, but then we went for a walk to the beach and saw no one in the water. After walking down to the shore line, we discovered why. The shore was full of washed up garbage, mostly plastic bags and styrafome, mixed it with other miscellaneous garbage. Peter almost stepped on a shard of glass! As beautiful as Vietnam is, there seems to be a problem with littering for sure. Litter lines the highways and in Mui Ne, fills the water and the beach. So needless to say, it was not the beach retreat we had in mind!

On the upside, our seafood dinner extraveganza for about $20 including all drinks was incredible! Mui Ne is a fishing village primarily and the local seafood includes shrimp, prawns, lobster, fish, squid, clams, and scallops. Very yummy and very cheap! Most restaurants line the streets with small make-shift char coal grills and display the catch of the day on melting ice beside the grill. You point and it is cooked.

We switched hotels for our 2nd night and stayed somewhere with a great pool, which was lovely. We got a scooter to the "fairy river" but didn't get far after Peter spotted a snake (see videos)!

It was a very short stay in Mui Ne, we booked a flight to leave for Phu Quoc, Vietnam, and have just arrived! It is beautiful, the water is literally a bath tub, temperature wise. Clean, clear water. And the resort where we are is beautiful! Will post more later!

oh, and mia, the beer posing pictures are for you...see, i DO drink beer! especially in vietnam! love you...miss you :)

love to you all..
p+s