Phu quoc was fantastic, albeit a little damp. After a 4 hour delay for our flight on Saturday we finally made it to our accomodation by about 4.30. We stayed at a small eco-resort – our rooms were rammed earth bungalows with thatched roofs (not so good in the wet season!) and outdoor bathrooms with solar powered hot water (again not so flash in the wet season!) Spent the afternoon checking out the place, relaxing and enjoying the sunset from the restaurant located about 5 metres from the waves crashing over rocks!

Woke on Sunday prepared for a big day of adventure, but were greeted by tropical monsoon conditions instead. After a morning reading and watching the rain, the weather cleared and against the advice of our hosts (although on their motorbikes!) headed to the remote north of the island. With only a few somewhat muddy dramas…

we visited remote beaches and small fishing villages as the gloom settled around us.

After struggling back to the resort for a seafood feast, I introduced the coin game to one of our French companions over a few Saigon beers.

Yesterday the weather had eased to overcast with the occasional patch of blue so we jumped on the motorbikes and headed south to the island’s most famous beach – Bai Sao. In between ducking squalls we wandered around, went swimming and watched the locals scoff seafood on the beach – much to our chagrin by the time we ordered lunch they had completely cleaned out the restaurant of crab!

After lunch with the squalls more frequent and the patches of blue much rarer we explored the inland areas and visited Dinh Ba, a larger fishing village on the east coast of the island.

Closing weather saw us running for home with a stop at a fish-sauce factory to see out a particulary violent spot of weather It was deliciously aromatic – we would have got some for everybody but it is forbidden to take it on the plane!

We are back in Saigon now with only a barbeque feast tonight (highlights of the menu – goat’s penis, scorpion, snake and live prawns) before we leave for the last time.

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