Vietnamese Sahara

12/7 Took a late flight from Hanoi to Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City)where I arrived around 12:30. Slept at the airport and then took a bus in the morning to Mui Ne for a day trip. I met a really nice security guard at the bus station who went around showing me all his favorite things to eat for breakfast and helping me find my bus. When he found out I was American he was all excited saying how great a country the USA is. He asked me, "did you know we were once enemies? Not anymore now. I talk to many americans!" This was actually the first vietnamese that had brought up the American war (as it's known everywhere outside of n. america) without me asking something about it And as I had come to find, still no one with hard feelings. The interesting thing about vietnam is that although we may have lost the war, it appears as though we won overall. Everywhere you look are American products, chains, movies, tv, freedoms, and ideas. Vietnam appears to be full steam capitalist with only communism as a name. Everyone is out trying to make a buck, or a dong...or as many millions of dongs as they can (1 USD= 20,000 dong). Hung, my motorbike guide was saving up to start his own business, something I'm pretty sure you wouldn't find in a communist society.

The book had said that the trip from Saigon to Mui Ne was supposed to take 2.5 hours, but it took 5! But I still had plenty of time b/c check in wasn't until 4am the next morning. So I rented a motorbike (a sweet fully manual old bmw), and took off to explore the area which is known for its fish sauce plant and sand dunes. My first stop was a fishing village where I scratched my head at the completely circular boats that they had. Seemed like not the best boat design to decrease water drag. But I guess it's been working for thousands of years.

Rode on to the red sand dunes, which you got it, are some dunes made of red sand. Climbed up to the top and then went back to the bike to ride the 30k's to the white sand dunes. The drive along the coast was very scenic, though blustery with sand blowing around. The desolate, hot, and dusty landscape made me think of how I imagined the dust bowl to be, especially after having passed a huge cemetary just placed in the middle of nowhere amongst plants that looked like sage. But then I saw the towering white sand dunes in the distance, glowing out of the stark landscape with a shimmering lake below them. These dunes were much larger and more spectacular. It was a bit of a rough and 4wd road to get to them. I spent a couple hours hiking around them and up to the tallest one. Once back at my bike, 3 of the boys who work there renting sleds to slide down the dunes with asked if I could give them a ride back to their village. Why not? I put one up against the handlebars up front and two behind me (plus I still had my pack on). It was just like the typical asian soccer mom van that you see all around: a mom driving (always talking on the phone, with a baby on the front and 2 kids on the back, and perhaps a live chicken strapped on for dinner. I put on my asian face mask (to keep out the sand and dust) and took off. A little ways down the road some tourists had crashed on the wild road. People were there helping them, so I continued past them. All the bystanders gave me quite the quizzical look. A white guy, with four vietnamese children crammed on, wearing a face mask, and driving an old school bike (most of the tourists rent the typical scooter or semi automatic motorbike). It was like I was asian, and after 364 days, I sure as heck should have looked and acted like one.

On the way back I stopped at the red sand dunes to watch the sunset where I met Safrie a nice indonesian who had gone to the savannah college of art and design, a big CofI swimming rival.

Back at Mui Ne at 6pm, I found out that the last bus to Saigon had left at 5pm. Well there was one that left at 2am, but it arrived at 6am to saigon, and I needed to be at the airport by 4am for check in. Everyone said that there were no more busses. But this is Asia, and I certainly didn't believe this. I told them that there must be busses running along the major highway that starts in hanoi, goes through Da Nang and Nha Trang. They said probably so. So I took a motorbike out to the highway and also took with me a sing with Saigon written on it in case I had to hitch hike b/c I am sure there would be plenty of traffic on the highway. After a few minutes, the first public bus came by. It was 8pm, which meant I had 7 hours plus 1 hour allowed for a taxi to the airport to get to saigon. Considering the direct bus had taken 7 hours but had lots of traffic, I would make it. But I got on the bus and it was terribly slow. Every asian bus I have been in has a driver that drives like crazy. But not this one. featherfoot. Add that to stopping for bathroom breaks, a meal, and picking up and dropping off people, and I was getting quite worried that I would make it. Believe me, I was timing how fast we were doing 25km segments (it was exactly 200km (124miles) from mue ni to saigon. It was starting to look like it would be very close. I didn't want to risk it, so at one of the food breaks, I stood by the highway and flagged down a fast moving minivan. It had room for me and was glad to take some dong to take me, actually neary the airport. Ended up getting dropped off around midnight at some random point in saigon and with plenty of time. So I sat down for my last meal in South East Asia!! Had two bowls of Pho and 2 bottles of saigon brew.