Bai Bien Cua Toi (XXIII & XXIV): Heat, a sunrise, a Buddha & hugging the toilet

2:00
Tam asked me to show the new German guests to their room when they arrive at Friggin 2 am. I set my alarm clock, the guests arrive at 2:30, and Phap sleeps right through it ;-)

5:00

NOT bad for a sunrise ;-)

I want to walk like a giant ...

6:30

A new milestone at the market.
Mot banh mi cha lua va mot banh mi trung ! I say.
The vendor smiles and all the women at the next stand look at me and grin and giggle.  
I'm sure my pronunciation could have been better (LOL) but I get one of the usual and one baguette with egg.

That 2:00 rising is catching up with me ...

SHIT, IT'S HOT !
At 8:50 the door handle of my room is too hot to hold for longer than a split second.  
It will be a SCORCHER today !

10:15
DONE
I did the internet booking for another excursion.  It might be disappointing, it might give me 3rd degree sunburn, it might be a blast.  
Who cares; I am in great need for some UNKNOWN right now, LOL.


I am GLAD that I'm NOT an IDIOT !

My Swedish neighbours, who pushed themselves into a free room upgrade, now want the Vietnamese staff to call the train station in Tuy Hoa to get them train tickets.  THIS is NOT a 4* hotel, dear TOURISTS.  In addition, they think Tuy Hoa is 12 kms from here, when it really is 65 km from here. Please, LEARN to use Google Maps !
Fortunately, the British Turkish man & family (don't ask!) are ALSO taking a train to Saigon from Tuy Hoa TODAY.  Problem Solved.

When I double-check over at the Swedish place that everything went smoothly with the WEIRD guests and I ask them to put the G&T on a tab, I am dumb-founded to find out that they call my tab "Manager next door".  LOL.

Again time to retract an insult from a previous paragraph.  The Swedish couple, whose older son seems to have a slight speech or development problem, tells me that said son wants me to keep their PINK air mattress because they don't have enough luggage space.   


A PINK air mattress?  
HOW could I say NO? LOL.


TAK !, I say.  






Talk about exchanging my Dog Skull for something much more USEFUL !











13:30
The Swedes are leaving.  And they hand me their left-over INCENSE. 
OMG, Karma is in town today and I feel doubly bad for the insults above.

13:45
It's time to LEAVE !

 Again, during the ride, I realize how fortunate I am (or maybe just drunk?).  This country is SO BEAUTIFUL and racing the scooter along these roads is such a RUSH.

I want one of these ....

Tao at Life's a Beach doesn't even make a face or stare at me when I say 
Toi muon an ca va potatoes va toi muon uong ruou vang trang.
I even ask her whether it's just that she knows in advance what I'm going to say or whether my pronunciation has actually improved.  Unbelievable as it sounds, they now can actually UNDERSTAND what I'm saying.  What a NOVEL feeling !

I receive an e-mail from Thi Lan! 

I now have a ticket to visit the ALHAMBRA in November !!!!

STOP dreaming.  I'm FAR from Spain right now, LOL

Quy Nhon seen from the back

OMG, from mid span of the longest over-water bridge in Vietnam, I can see today's destination in the distance....

But I'm still a 15 km race along a desert highway away from the Buddha.

 I should have followed the main road.  I get STUCK in the local village when the road gets TOO narrow & rough to let my scooter through.  Of course, there is enough grinning Viets around that point me in the right direction.

YES, there are indeed ...

....COWBOYS & COWGIRLS in Vietnam ;-)

I knew before.  If a place has the word RETREAT in it, it's one of those soulless grey/beige bungalow type resort with excessive prices.  This one is no different.  BORING !  But then I'm only here because that Big Buddha is almost right across the street, LOL.

I shouldn't have eaten that Fish & Chips at Life's a Beach.  I feel like a BALLOON !  Maybe add heat-stroke?  I'm glad the bed is FABULOUS.   

19:15
I've just finally fallen asleep when there are KNOCKS on the door again.  At first I think I'm still at My Beach and it's the staff again.  But NO, I am NOT at My Beach.

4:30
There should be some light at the horizon ;-)

I'm stepping outside to hang my sink laundry.  Then I DROP the wet clothes on the floor to rush back inside to grab the CAMERA, lOl.

Good start to the day?

I can see today's destination from outside my bungalow on the way to breakfast.  This is what I came here for:

OMG,
my opinion of this place changes the moment I enter the breakfast hall.   Attention to detail.  The View combined with the music.  THIS is a reTREAT LOL.

pain au chocolate?   Dim sum?  Sausage & eggs?  Well, ALL OF IT!

Breakfast is INCLUDED.  And all this SPLENDOR for less than the DINGIEST Vancouver motel room right now

that croissant is HEAVY.  there must be a pound of butter in it !

YES, I'm eating too much, but it is all so GOOD ;-)

I KNEW after the first bite that I should NOT eat that croissant

I have a funny feeling in my stomach.  NOT good at all.  Will a nap help with that or should I try to walk it off?
I decide on walking, without having a clue about what I'm about to endure.

When I get closer, I realize that the whole Budda complex is still under construction.  There isn't even a ticket office yet!

It looks like an easy climb.....

But it is NOT an easy climb, LOL

 The sun is hitting the stairs hard and it is HOT.

Once I've made it halfway up the stairs, I need to take a breather stop every 10 steps !

Is THIS what old age feels like ?

I'm ecstatic when I reach the top of the main stairs.... but the climb is not over..

A tree as a cell phone tower?

But the tree looks ODD.

YES, it is a FAKE tree ;-)

that's HIGH.  I CLIMBED all that distance from sea level !

The way down is fun.  Now there are many Vietnamese families on their way up.  In high heels, with pieces of clothing over their heads to ward of the hot sun, and drinking greedily out of water bottles.  I feel a little sorry for them and a bit proud ;-)

I'm back in the hotel at 9:30 am and my stomach tells me that today would not be a good day to travel.  That croissant is finally and definitely doing its evil deed in my inside.  I quickly book my room for another night and .....

14 hours of THIS ;-(

The last heave happens around 11 pm.  Let's just say it wasn't much fun..... but I discovered a new way to trigger the actual heave without my finger nails completely destroying my throat.