Day 1: The Mui Ne In My Mind

The flight to Saigon was turbulent, all thanks to the severe weather disturbance off the northeastern seaboard of the Philippines. The plane started to descend, and before we knew it, we have safely arrived at Tan Son Nhat International Airport, after nearly two hours of flight. The sun was almost up when we finally left the airport terminal building and had our USDs exchanged to the local currency (Vietnamese Dongs). For the first time in forever, I became an instant millionaire. Multi-millionaire to be exact.

While searching for a cab, a frail-looking man probably in his early 50s, approached us. He claimed that he was a cab driver and even showed his ID to us. Because we were so exhausted brought about by the delay, we immediately hired him. Normally, the fare to downtown Saigon costs 210,000 dong. However, our cab driver charged us 200,000 each. Multiply it by 3, the total fare was 600,000 dong. Upon arrival at the hostel, we tried to haggle the cab driver to charge at a lower rate. Apparently, he wanted to press charges against us because we were too nosy. He started to raise his voice and we got afraid. We gave up and he sped off.

The first thirty minutes in Saigon was a bit traumatic, but I don't want to disappoint myself. Without a doubt, those scammers are scattered along the busy streets and murky alleys of Saigon waiting for its next victim.

But, I believe Vietnam is more than that.

After a quick shower and a hearty breakfast at Long Hostel, an attendant of a bus company fetched us and took us to the starting-off point to Mui Ne, the resort capital of Vietnam. We rode a sleeper bus thus it was a perfect opportunity to catch some serious zzzs. It took us six hours before reaching the city proper of Mui Ne. We were booked at Zenora Beach Resort and luckily, there were only a few guests and the villa was surprisingly comfortable and big! Take note that we only paid Php 930/night (per pax). Comes with free breakfast and an ultrafast wi-fi connection.

I took a quick dip and I really enjoyed the big waves of Mui Ne! I truly missed the sand, the waves, and you and me. #landi

Since it was Mui Ne's low season, there were only a few tourists but I actually loved it because it wasn't that stressful. There were so many hotels and restaurants along the national highway and I couldn't imagine the sea of people during holidays!

At night time, we explored a bit of Mui Ne's city center and visited some shops selling shirts, souvenirs, and even jewelries. I even bought a Vietnamese street food (forgive me, I forgot the name) and it was delicious. It's a deep fried corn garnished with bits of garlic, chives, pork, and fried shrimps.

Whenever I visit a foreign country, the first thing that I try is their local food. The food reflects the rich culture and history of a country and it is the best way to immerse to its culture. Finally, I've tried their Pho noodles, their famous spring rolls (we call it lumpia in the Philippines), and the ostrich meat! Surprisingly, the ostrich meat is soft and tender.

UGGGHH THE PHO NOODLES IS TO DIE FOR!!!

We had a rough day. The 4-hr delay was really stressful but there was nothing that we can do about it. Upon arrival at Saigon, we got ripped by a local. I never expected that we'd get scammed first thing in the morning. We just shrugged it off because we were too tired to react.

Mui Ne actually saved our day. After all, it was a quick respite from the unwanted stress we acquired on that cold and hazy morning of Saigon.