Paradise Found in the Vietnam Gulf

Phu Quoc Island

            The second day in Vietnam I took a flight to Phu Quoc Island.  It is an island off the coast of Cambodia but it can only be reached from Vietnam. We took a turbo prop plane, which is the same kind of planes we take from Ft. Lauderdale to the Bahamas. Once we arrived, there was a driver that took us to The Longbeach Resort.  I didn't do any of the planning, so I had no idea what to expect.  The resort was luxurious and was situated right on the beach. Most of the people visiting the resort were honeymooners, so there were virtually no kids.  The first day we relaxed on the beach and enjoyed the sunset.  That night, we went out to dinner for authentic Vietnamese cuisine. 

            The next day we spent our time exploring the island.  We went up the west coast of the island on mopeds.  Most of the roads were dirt so it was not a very comfortable ride.  We rode through markets as well as over bridges that were not very promising.

            At night, we met a lot of people but only one Vietnamese.  The language barrier made it very tough to communicate.  There was a family of 4 that were at the bar we went to the first night, DS Bar.  They were from England and have been in Vietnam for over 3 weeks.  I spent most of the time talking to this family and comprehending what they were saying.  The mother, Deborah, told me that her children were getting a better education because they were teaching their children about culture.  She believed there was no other way to teach her kids about the rich cultures in these countries.  I thought about my experience thus far with SAS and I agreed with her.

            The food in Vietnam was delicious.  I didn't have any food there that I did not like.  It was probably my favorite food because everything was cooked with lime.  Phu Quoc is known for its seafood, pepper farms, and pearls. One night, I ordered a seafood bowl and I cooked everything myself.  They brought out a portable stove with a small propane tank attached then they brought out my metal plate and placed it on top.  The plate had a bowl in the center with boiling soup.  The server showed me how to put the fish, squid, shrimp, and numerous vegetables into the soup and cook it.  The spices and flavors in the soup combined with the experience of making it myself made this my favorite meal so far.