WINDY !!!!: Vinh Hoa to Quy Nhon

I wake up to this:

YES, I am indeed in the RED ZONE

There is NO question of going swimming today. The wind is BRISK and causes everyone to shiver even though the thermometer reads 19 degrees Celsius.

After breakfast there is something STRANGE going on at the beach. 

There are Viets at the beach after 5:30 am.  THAT is VERY strange !

The reason?    Last night's wind has torn loose quite a few shrimp cages.

It's NOT just the cages that the Viets are after.

The cages are FULL of PRAWNS.

A FORTUNE to the villagers and pretty much their whole livelihood.

Consequently, a large part of the village, most of which can NOT SWIM, .....

brave the threat of the ocean to bring those prawn-filled cages back to shore.

After dropping my left-over bottle of white wine at Quang's place (he needs provisions for the next three weeks LOL), we arrive back at the hotel to witness today's dinner being prepared. Octopus or Squid, I'm not sure from just looking at it, but Mu'oc translates as Squid

ink

here's looking at you !

Time to say good-bye to everyone.   Some people I will miss quite a lot.

How to describe the scooter ride?
WINDY
The wind is so strong, I almost almost get forced into the guard rail on a bridge. 

  Every time I come over a hill, my face gets literally sand-blasted. 

my 'freshly sand-blasted' look

1/3 of the time I can't drive faster than 30 km/h.   It's an ADVENTURE !

Life's a Beach is fun as usual and I manage to order a Banh Pi-Za Hai San to much laughter and applause.

I manage to ride the remaining 11 km without being thrown off.

still here ....

Eda likes this one, LOL

An exploratory walk of South Quy Nhon after a short nap:

WOW, 12 hours of sleep.   

Not the best weather but then I shouldn't complain.  Vancouver just got blanketed in snow, resulting in a breakdown of public transit. 

Even Nurse Next Door couldn't make it to Grandma today, something Grandma is delighted about. Let's just hope she doesn't fall today !

Eda sends me a picture taken from her window.  

Now if THAT is not reason to start a Native Rain Dance to prevent my plane from taking off from Saigon the day after tomorrow !

Time to go for a morning walk.  Maybe the exercise will chase the chill out of my body.

With most Viets working the Sea, no wonder they're praying to some kind of ocean deity 

Yes, one SHOULD have to put in some legwork to get closer to God

On the way down from the temple area I see these signs on the trees.  And the STRANGEST thing happens!    I can READ them, LOL

Don't PEE here!   (literally:  General Hygiene)

Quy Nhon is UGLY. STAY AWAY !  (grin)

Time to move to the new hotel, return the scooter, and walk back.

Did Yves Tanguy ever visit these beaches?  After all, Vietnam was still French during his lifetime ;-)

Not on any of the booking sites, but looking good

Puppy starts SNARLING at me.  Probably still can smell DOG on my breath, LOL

Another 3 hour nap !!!! WTF?
But when I visit my water kettle in the lobby (he got rid of his old plastic kettle and is using mine now) for a glass of hot coffee, I see by the folded pillow on his bench that I was not the only one who had a nap.

17:00
OK, let's bite the bullet.  Let's try to eat something at the street restaurant JUST around the corner.  It's been busy every time I've walked by.
The restaurant is frequented by young Viets and judging by the looks I get when I sit down, Westerners are still a novelty here.
Naturally, the menu is in Tieng Viet only. Chicken leg is not available (I MISS Dong Hoi just because of that), so I have the choice between ga rang and ga cay.  How bad can it be.  I pick the second one.  Then I realize that maybe I ordered chicken feet. LOL.  When in Rome .....

1) It's VERY GOOD !
2) I'm pretty sure that I ordered spicy sweet & sour chicken ass.

A young Western woman walks up to me to get tips for food selection and 3 minutes later I'm sitting at the table of 3 young UBC students originally from Vancouver Island.  The age and culture gap is too great to make this a good match but I have fun for almost one hour.

Back at the hotel, the usual routine unfolds.  Mo, the hotel owner, invites me to sit with him, I get the bottle of wine from my room, he gets out the medicinal wine and his wife's HOMEMADE food & dessert. 

YES, home-made !!!!

Two Austrians join us, a friend of Mo and his wife, and then the two Newfoundlander permanent guests of this hotel.  The Newfies bring Viet Vodka and the Austrians bring Cambodian Rice Wine. 

HOW can I leave here ?

Chuc ngu ngon !  (Good Night)