A Ride on the Wild Side

We decided this morning to rent a scooter and look around a bit. That plan almost went sideways when Brad took a tumble down a flight of stairs at the hotel! He's ok, bumps, scrapes and a couple bruises. Really lucky, actually.

Our hotel is wild in its own way. It's in a partially built massive development, so it's like a ghost town. The listing for this place was largely a work of fiction. The most egregious lie of all to me was beach proximity...the 250 yard distance is actually over a km. This sort of thing is apparently typical of the island. Bait and switch hotel reservation scams are so common the government is enacting legislation later this month, before its tourism reputation is indelibly tarnished.

We've decided to remain in place. The staff are attentive and helpful, and there are enough benefits. Renting a scooter will give us independent access to explore anyway. The hotel associate that arranged the rental was curiously jubilant about the deal. Smiles, some back pats and even a half hug concluded the transaction...have we just bought this scooter, I wondered?

First stop one of the many famous tropical beaches of Phu Quoc, Sao Beach. It's everything a beach should be, turquoise water, light golden powdery sand. Black rocks and red starfish provide contrast. Piles of washed up trash denote the tide line. It's sad, there is very little evidence of any real environmental concern.

We'll come back here, or find another beach, for a beach day tomorrow. Today we leisurely scoot up the east side, and then much more rapid return down the middle main road to our south end hotel. There's lots to see along the way. Not tourist infrastructure, more faded signs, dark store and home fronts. Dogs, lethargic in the afternoon heat, slowly cross the road and occasional other wandering tourists buzz by. Several small inlets or canals are crossed by small bridges with flat metal sheet panels creating the base. They rattle and crash when driven over. It's otherwise peaceful though.

There are a few restaurants and stores in our complex. Actually there are many signs and storefronts, but they are mostly dark and silent. The main street is well lit up, and we choose a busier looking corner restaurant. Staffed by one older man for front of house, and one woman cooking, the old adage comes to mind: fast, cheap, or good, pick any 2 of 3. We nailed this one - it wasn't fast 😅. But his demeanor so made up for it. Pleasant, smiling, and shuffling in his croc shoes managing to be everywhere. I had a most excellent Hanoi pork pho. I could eat this every day....actually I probably have!Read more