Welcome to the Jungle Beach

26 August 2009

Leaving Hoi An with our new sartorial splendours crammed into rucksacks that are already overflowing, we split into two minivans for the very long drive down to Doc Let beach, where we find ourselves today. It's eleven hour ride, which may well be a record for this trip, barring the all-night drive in China. We're just about 60K north of Nha Trang, which also has beaches, but last year's trip didn't have an amazing stay there, so we're testing out the Jungle Beach Resort instead.

And it's pretty much a home run; Jungle Beach is on it's own isolated (very isolated) cove, past some unpromising industrial port buildings on a bumpy track, 19K from the main road. It's a little more hippie-commune than I would have opted for personally, but I can deal with the middle-class Canadians and their travel beards...because it's just so beautiful. We've got our own hut, with sleeping platforms and mosquito nets on the double bed, a big fan, and a porch with hammock and lounge chairs. The 2beach itself is about 100 meters away, more pristine white sand and blue, warm, clear, gentle water. Food is $8 for three nights, and so far has included tuna steak, fried shrimp, and of course tofu. They are hippies, after all.

When we got here last night, went for a night swim, which the French-Canadian owner promised was “magical”. I am something of a cynic, and I don't know about magical (again, watersports and alcohol! what is wrong with people? did none of you ever see Baywatch?), but it was pretty lovely. It's fairly shallow and the surf is so gentle that it would be hard to drown, but the best bit was the plankton. I've read about phosphorescence but never seen it. Tiny cellular creatures that respond to movement by lighting up for a moment (apparently it distracts potential predators)--it was like fairy lights every time you moved, swirling around in the moonlight. Dreamy and gorgeous. And plankton-y.

Spent today doing nothing at all on the beach. Nice Vietnamese people brought around fresh pineapple at 2:30, napped a bit in the sun, now sitting on our porch listening to the South China Sea and drinking 85 cent beers. In my new dress. With no sunburn because I've been on holiday for 4 months and already have a tan going. Bliss.