Hello Again

Hi Everybody
I know it isn't all that long since I'd sat here writing, but it is late at home and if I phone I will wake everyone up. I have this urge to touch home base, so thought I'd fill you in on our latest escapades. I don't think I need to tell you that we are still captivated with this country and we think you should all experience it. People here are all so friendly and apart from missing our darling family and friends, we are very happy here.
James and I had a night away last week, took off to a place called Vung Tau. I discovered after we had been there that the Australian forces had a base there during the American war. Vung Tau is a beach-side city about a 90 minute hydrofoil ride down the Saigon River from Ho Chi Minh City. We set off after work on Sunday and were settled in our hotel in time to have a nice walk up the beach,
We must have looked like tourists because the taxi driver, after trying to get us to go to another hotel other than the one we'd chosen, tried to charge us 380,000 dong rather than 38,000 dong. Needless to say, I told him where to go, in true Aussie style. Cheeky bugger!
The beach washes up water from the South China Sea and compared to Australian beaches was very poor . The sand was scattered with rubbish from the throngs of people who sit here and there was an obvious residue of oil from the off shore oil rigs. The locals were oblivious to this and splashed happily in the waves. Along the beach are people hiring beach chairs and the vendors who frequent the streets in the city, were also there on the sand. Groups of young men formed teams to play friendly soccer and children were happy to be buried in the sand......very much like a popular beach anywhere.
Up on the hill overlooking the beach is a huge statue of Jesus, arms outstretches. apparently you can climb up and out onto His shoulders. If He was to turn His head to the left, He could gaze out onto a Buddhist pagoda which sits on a tiny island just off the beach. Rather curious, the mix of religions within a stones throw.
The streets here are wide and hardly any traffic. We laughed at how easy it was to cross the road, compared to what we have become used to. Once it had become dark, I think everybody else had made their way back to HCMC. We found a delightful restaurant on the roof of a shopping centre. It was great, the cool breeze, fairy lights, western music and mango smoothies......bliss.
We spent our time just lazing on the beach, reading our books and soaking up the sun and sea air. It was a 24hour chill-out which was great for the soul. But we had to come back, James had work on Tuesday, so we caught the hydrofoil back down the river to Ho Chi Minh City. And back into the traffic. The first thing we had to do was manage to cross the road and with that, we knew we were back.
We are hoping that we are going to be able to make time for another little break but James is now working 7 days a week. Some days are only a few hours but unfortunately cuts into the day. Since taking the part-time work with RMIT James is happier. He says it is just like walking into a little piece of Australia.
We will be working over Christmas, although the schools have Christmas parties and concerts, they don't actually celebrate the day with a holiday. We are planning dinner at the Sheraton with a group of other Aussies. I've found a Christmas shop and put up a few decorations today, rather poor compared to home but still should herald in the season.
So, with Christmas not far away, I dare say we will be missing home even more. So send lots of emails. The one thing that we are giggling about is....you poor things are suffering all the hype that goes with the Federal election....so we are one up on you!
Hope to hear from you all before Christmas...till then...cheers
Di and James

Less Work More Play

Maple Bear, the kindergarten I was working in, has fallen to finance. The boss (a Vietnamese Canadian) had found that profit was slow coming, so decided to shelve the idea. There are advantages to having your hours cut, well at least for me anyway. I left James at home working a few weeks ago and took off with Leigh, another Australian nurse pretending to be an English teacher. We caught an early bus to Mui Ne Beach, a 20km stretch of white sandy beach about 4 hours north. The bus was cheap ($8US return) but really good and delivered us to the door of our hotel.
A small, modest, family run establishment, it was right on the beach, I mean rooms literally overhanging the sand. Again inexpensive, $20US for a twin room (Prices are for those of you planning a holiday, so you can get an idea of costs) I was excited when I realised it was an inner-spring mattress, we have solid foam at home. But when I looked and saw the tiled bed-head, I checked out the base and it was concrete with pretty tiles. They are big on tiles here. Never mind it was comfortable and we had the sound of the waves to lull us off to sleep.
We were eager to explore so out we went to the nearest tour office. Here we hired a jeep for $30 and a private tour. By this time it was 1pm so all the bigger tour buses had done their thing. First stop was the lying Buddha on top of TA Cu Mountain. Yes, on top. A cable car took us most of the way, but then I found out how unfit I am as Leigh climbed ahead of the millions of steps. The advantage being that I kept stopping to take in the view, and how spectacular it was. We could have had a good view from the cable car, but with Vietnamese logic, the windows were covered with advertising stickers.
The big white Buddha at the top made the climb worth while. We were the only ones there, perhaps the climb put others off, but it was so serene, a cool breeze and no noise. No wonder Buddha was asleep. I think that was the highlight of our little holiday. You can just see Leigh standing next to his toes in the photo, so you have an idea of how big he is.
Back down the mountain, much easier, and on to some Cham Towers just out of a town called Phan Thiet. This town is the fish sauce capital of the country and boy, did it pong! Like dirty undies and sneakers mixed together. Fortunately we moved quickly through here on our way back to Mui Ne.
Next morning up at 4.30 for sun rise at the Red Sand Dunes. Not too spectacular but had fun talking to kids trying to convince us to ride down the sand dunes on plastic sheets, of course, for a fee. Imagine that, me sliding down a sandy slope, I had enough trouble walking down them. This holiday gave my ankle a real work out. In the back of the jeep again and onto the White Sand Dunes, more worth the trek around a lake and up the hills. Just beautiful. In the distance we could see a bride and groom having their wedding photos taken, that would be great. Apparently, a few weeks before the ceremony, the bride and groom dress up, the whole bit and have their photos done. Then at the reception, the photos are on show. Guess you get everyone to see them that way. The soil around here is so diverse, white through to red, more like central Australia.
Back towards the hotel, through Mui Ne village and we stopped to look at the hundred of aqua blue and red fishing boats in the bay, quite a sight. They also have boats called coracles. These are big round woven baskets, paddled with one oar. Buggered if I'd go out to sea in one, but they are obviously efficient.
When we were back at the hotel, we had nothing to do but sit on the beach and wait for the bus. Leigh went for a dip but said she was sharing the waves with plastic bags etc so I stayed where I was. It was really relaxing and even better to have that nice clean air to breath.
The bus picked us up and we were back toward town. James had been working away and still wasn't home from work when I got there. He now has a part-time job with RMIT (Vietnam's Australian university) so hopefully that will be more his style than little kids who need help to the toilet.
We are still finding new things to see and do, saving lots of ideas for those who wish to visit us here. Our roof top garden has several chairs now, so we can have visitors relax up there with a beer. And we have fairy lights for night time. The wet season is slowly finishing and we have noticed that the days and nights are cooler.
James has had his first accident on the bike, got hit by a guy going around a round-about. Took a roll and, fortunately, was missed by the other bikes and is safe and sound. He was very lucky. I've given my Honda driver the sack, swapped him for one who doesn't drive like a maniac or smell of alcohol. The other guy was just too scary.
But apart from that, there is not a lot more to say. So it is bye till the next blog.
Di and James