A day on an Island...Phu Quoc, Vietnam

Yes, I am here...family photo taken at Christmas Eve Dinner on the beach!

I want to let you in on a secret…writing about our travels here Vietnam and in China can be very difficult.  In some cases, a VPN service is necessary to do some of the most innocent things.  For example, access to Facebook and Twitter or even 4Square can be blocked because someone has abused the privilege of connecting with the world.  In the United States, we call that freedom of speech but out here in the rest of the world it doesn’t work that way.  What is is!

I am writing now on a word processing program because the internet service here in our resort is “sketchy” this morning.  I don’t know if it is the ocean breeze or the fact that the guys are connected to the net so they can watch Green Bay play Chicago.  Anything is possible.

Night before last we had dinner on the beach with the owner of the resort, his wife and son along with residence from 20 other rooms. It was a gala affair.  

We took a taxi out to the night market last night and ate dinner cooked on charcoal grills in restaurants set up each evening, taken down at the end of the day and reassembled on the next evening.  The cycle goes on every day of the year.  Fishing boats dock in the river and scooters fly over a bridge that lowers into the water so the boats can pass.  Back streets empty when dark falls and even the ridgeback dogs that run wild on the island take a rest.  

Dinner at the night market.

Here on Phu Quoc there are no beach vendors save one lady that comes by with a basket of fruit in the morning.  The squid fishermen fish from boats at night with huge spot lights but it appears that they need very calm waters or the squid migrate because we have not seen them for several evening.  

We are savoring the quiet breezes and leisurely pace of this secluded place.  Cassia Cottages provides an experience worth the flight around the world.  I think of home and family left behind at this holiday season but we will share our stories after New Years.

I haven’t come up with my goal for 2012 yet but trust me, in this life of retirement, goals are more important than ever.  Life could slip away and we would have nothing to show for it.

Be well.

b

Life on a boat in Vietnam

A Bridge that goes down so boats can pass.