White Sand Dunes and Lotus Lake, Mũi Né

One of my favorite experiences while in Vietnam was seeing the stunning white sand dunes in Mũi Né. Once again, Xuan took us on our own personal tour {we even got to ride along in our own Jeep!} It was nice; as many tourists visit the dunes in large groups and pay about $7 USD for a jeep {cheap, but still!}. The drive to the dunes offered a wonderful view of Mũi Né's iconic white sand beaches, a colorful fishing village in Phan Thiết, and the location of the red sand dunes, as well. How the two very different sand colors co-exist so closely is a mystery; I had trouble finding this out from the locals. 

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After 45 minutes of driving, some of which was bumpy, unpaved roads, we arrived: 

{The dune buggy.} 

 {Nearby Lotus Lake}

{Bulls roaming around everywhere in Vietnam. In touch with my Taurus spirit ;).}

{A lone swan boat on the lake.}

 {Above and below: My favorite shots of Lotus Lake with all the blue-green-gold hues mixing beautifully.}

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{The beautiful sand dunes: The pictures don't do the actual sights justice: The hills looked like something from the Gobi Desert, and the sun cast shadows that created a brilliant contrast in the ever changing sand shapes}. 

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{Rachel climbing to the top:}

{And Xuan and I}:

{Looks like we weren't the only friends climbing the dunes}:

{Being tourists}: 

{See ya later!}:

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I COOKED (well, cut bananas)

While in Mũi Né, one of the first things Rachel and I did was take a traditional cooking class! {YES- I cooked! ;) }. Our friend Xuan {pronounced "Sung"- and meaning Spring}, taught us how to make: 

{A delicious chicken curry dish}

{Vietnamese spring rolls} {A spicy Thai beef salad}  

Xuan's close friends from the kite surfing school were also there at Sunset Cafe to help and learn to prepare the dinner. 

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{Cooking}! : 

 {Everyone sassed me as soon as I picked up the knife! They must have sensed my fear ;) The bananas were cut just right, even if a few others were saying they weren't exact!}

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One of the men in the cooking class was from Switzerland; but because there is no written language in Swiss {I didn't know this!}, he recorded the recipes of the night in German. Hoping our new friend Christopher can translate these: 

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The finished product: 

{Chicken curry with potato and fresh vegetables from the garden.}

{Vietnamese spring rolls.}

{Spicy Thai beef salad.}

{A can of coke for the new year: Vietnam style.}

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Cool recipe I found to make Vietnamese spring rolls {in English}:

http://notenoughcinnamon.com/2013/03/17/how-to-make-vietnamese-fresh-spring-rolls-step-by-step-recipe/

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thưởng thức

Enjoy! 

First Adventures in Mũi Né!

I have so many wonderful things to say about my holiday in Mũi Né, Vietnam that it is difficult to know where to begin!

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 In fairness, when we first landed in Saigon {also called Ho Chi Minh City if you're not a local}, I had a bit of  { OK- a huge} anxiety attack wondering where we were. Vietnam is not like Korea; and expecting similarities can get you rather upset..especially if you are in the back of a crazy cab for FOUR hours hyperventilating in traffic. But Mũi Né is truly a hidden gem. It just takes getting there.

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First impressions are everything and Mũi Né doesn't disappoint. Every day was sunny, breezy and hot:  

{Wind surfers and kite surfers were everywhere!}

{Waters at Mũi Né Beach}

 {Outside the entrance of the Saigon Mũi Né Resort.}

 {The Saigon Mũi Né Beach Resort pool: Rachel and I snuck through here a time or two…}

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The first day, Rachel and I were lucky enough to meet a German visitor named Christopher, and his wife from Vietnam. They were also staying at the hotel, and introduced us to what would become a great friend and personal tour guide: Xuan from nearby Sunset Cafe! 

{The four of us!}

{Outside of our hotel. Didn't look like much, but it was perfect and only $40 USD/night. We even stayed at the VIP room. Classy, guys.}

{The Moon: The first place we had dinner with our new friends before we discovered Sunset Cafe next door. It was wonderful! Eating out is very inexpensive in Vietnam}

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Discovering Sunset Cafe by day and night: 

 {The outdoor patio was set back from the street, and had a wonderful, laid back vibe.}

 {Xuan's family and friends made Sunset Cafe feel like a home away from home.}

{Our new friend Xuan. He was simply a giving, amazing person. He brought us all around Mũi Né and Phan Thiet {I will post!}, showing us all the local attractions on his motorbike,free of charge. Did I mention he was also a fantastic cook: I ate some of the best food I have had while in Asia. All of it was fresh from his garden: 

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{More about the a-mazing slow drip coffee later!}

 {Vegetable omelet with fresh eggs from Xuan's own chickens.}

{Vietnamese pancake-crepe with melted chocolate, dragon fruit, and fresh mango.}

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So many more day-to-day adventures to come

!!