Vietnam part V. "the beach"

we took a small bus, packed full of people and bags, away from Da Lat, the beautiful mountain town that reminded me of France. the road we traveled on was one- lane narrow, unpaved, bumpy and winding up and down and around the central mountains. the drive was hot and crowded, but i stayed in high spirits, for the view from the windows was spectacular. it was the middle of nowhere, high in the mountains, no homes in sight except occasionally i'd spot a wooden shack or a shed. the shades of green were phenomenal. cows roamed freely, a dozen or so stopping our bus while they lazily walked across the road, stopping to chomp on some grass at the side. the terrain began to flatten out and we knew that meant the sea was near! the ground was becoming a rich clay red and the homes more frequent, when finally we caught a glimpse of the deep blue water up ahead. our destination was not far! Mui Ne.

once off the bus we headed down the first little path to the beach and walked up a little stretch and found a beautiful hotel, we took the penthouse suite on the top floor with a huge veranda that overlooked the ocean. the visibility from our veranda was incredible. the place was thirty bucks a night. so cheap! 

we played in the water and sat in the sun. we drank seventy five cent beers in the ocean, throwing a coconut that josh had found in some game that he'd made up. 

when we shared meals we shared all our food. we talked about knowledge, education, the future, the past, adventures, dreams, and our families. 

one day we rented motorcycles and drove to some different beaches and came across a humble fishing village. we got our motorcycles going way too fast on a nice stretch of deserted road, what a rush! we found a beach party one night and we all danced under the stars barefoot in the sand while drinking fresh mint mojitos. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

sitting on a large deck, thatched roof overhead, a dozen or so hard wood tables smattered across the open space, a few families eating fresh seafood. my lover across from me, one arm stretched across the top of his two off-white pages, marked with his words. the constant sound of the ocean... every second, the rhythmic perfection of the waves. they just keep coming. sometimes you hear it a few paces down the beach before it's breaking right next to you. sometimes it's louder than the last; the seventh wave, perhaps. the table we three write at is littered with neatly stacked empty plates and beer cans "333". what a lazy afternoon. one slight glance up from my writing and there it is: the almighty sea. from tan sand to white foamy break to muddy colored water, then green, similar to my eye color i think, and further out it is a dark teal, with bits of white- the wind is at work. a few lonely boats rock fervently in the water, they appear manless, content. palm trees line the stretch of beach, leaning seaward, a perfect reminder of where we are: viet nam. 

sand and sea, the vast ocean and neverending waves bring calm, a stillness. palm trees carelessly wave overhead. this tropical paradise, Mui Ne, is a small fishing village that is slowly becoming a vacation destination and an expat hub, i can see why! there is not much to do in Mui Ne and that is just fine with me. something about all that ocean, the salty sea air, bright stars at night, and time to lounge around, leaves me very content and contemplative. we swam for hours, jumping into the salty waves that were growing stronger and more frightening as a heavy storm brewed above. the sky became a dark, thick gray, beautiful and ominous in contrast to the sunny sky beyond. wind kicked up, violently shaking the palm trees and rocking the boats at sea. we stayed in the water, swimming in the warm waves, safe there from the cool rain. 

Vietnam part IV. when i travel....

When I travel I like it to be a good mix of adventuring around and still feel relaxed at the end of it. I love to travel and it is important to me to continually refine how I travel, making it simple and easy and learning how to best spend my time, energy, and thought.

Tip! Pack light, always pack light. Less, still less. One bag, it doesn’t matter how long you’ll be gone, one bag. You can always do a load of laundry. It’s okay to wear that a few days in a row… packing light is not easy, and it takes time and experience to learn this valuable skill.

When I travel I like to really see the way that the local people live. Where do they eat? How do they spend their free time? What are their days like? This is harder than it seems because so many places have been touched in some way by tourism, so the local people want to cater to you or preserve their own spaces and privacy. Yet I try. I make an effort to tread lightly and not follow the tourist herds that float around the world on the lonely planet trail.

I love to get away from the city when I travel- to see the beauty of the raw nature that surrounds most cities and towns. I like to eat local food at local restaurants and be brave to try stuff that is mysterious.

When I travel I like to hop on a bicycle or maybe a motorbike to see things at my pace. But most of the time I walk. And walk and walk and walk. The world goes by very slowly at a walking pace, allowing me to see the small things, which add up to the collective impression of a place.

And I love the faces! Young and old and bored and sad and glowing….