Garbage beach

02.08.2014

This weekend, I was supposed to go with Derek and Cheryl to a deserted island. In the morning, I went to buy my ticket, but I wasn't sure they were really coming, so I didn't get theirs for them. I asked them by email if they wanted me to get theirs and they said yes, so I went back, but there were none left. I was unsurprisingly, and disappointedly, on my own again.

At two, I boarded the boat, but suddenly they started taking it apart, and we had to get off and wait for them to fix it. Fine. This island doesn't have many facilities so I brought my own food and beer. I didn't even finish the first of my warm beers and the boat was fixed and ready to go again. This time, I was slow getting onto the boat and they gave me one of those dumb plastic stools to sit on. Eventually people moved away from the sun and I got a spot on a bench, but of course in the sun. So, I got a good tan. I also met the owner of a hotel on the island I want to go to next week. So, if Cheryl and Derek are up for it next week, we might go there.

Ngoc Vung is a little closer than Quan Lan, so I said goodbye to my hotel friend and got on a random truck with some people. They said we had to stop for fifteen minutes, but they didn't say why. When they got back from whatever they were doing, they said they would take me to the beach. Nope, they had to find their friend, then TOMORROW they would take me to the beach, and they apologized. Um, no? I didn't say a word, I just got off the taxi and started walking in the direction I thought the beach might be, without paying for the truck, of course. Ha.

The next person I asked, said the beach wasn't far. Awesome, so I found it and it was fishy smelling and full of garbage. Some kids were playing in the waves beside a dead dog that had washed up on shore. I kid you not. I didn't take a picture, it was too sad. You'll just have to believe me on this one.

All of the junk you throw in the ocean winds up here, folks. Think twice before littering, seriously. Here is a list of some of the garbage I saw on the beach: a dead dog, a huge light bulb, maybe from a boat, in tact, a fluorescent light tube thing, smashed, waiting for a child to cut his/her feet on it, bottles, juice boxes, cup a soup bowls, all kinds of plastic bags, a rubber glove, many kinds of shoes and flip flops, one of all of them, of course and various other unsavoury debris.

There were two hotels right on the beach, but they were both full. I don't see how anyone can enjoy such a lovely beach with a discarded juice box at their feet, but I digress.

I put down my little towel and my bag and jumped into the water. It was the temperature of soup. Seriously. Ew. So, I swam a little in the salty soup ocean. It was hotter than the air, and the air was pretty hot, as you can imagine.

There were SO MANY things living everywhere. Which is great, I love things being alive. But for me, personally, it gives me the heebie jeebies. Everywhere I stepped, I was afraid of crushing a crab, snail or other mollusc. I love things being alive so much, that it kind of prevents me from appreciating my life myself. It sucks being a self-aware human sometimes.

As I was enjoying the gentle waves, I glanced behind me and noticed a small, unattended fire. Is it a signal? Did some gangsters light the fire behind me so to say: "Heads up, this tourist might sleep on the beach, let's take all her stuff."??? I wasn't sticking around to find out. It was too mysterious to me.

So I marched back on down the beach, and saw some young men selling snacks.

"Where do I sleep?" I mimed.

They pointed down the completely pitch black road. I walked down the road blindly, my heart in my throat. A few motorcycles passed by slowly, probably to get a better look at the crazy foreigner, walking around alone at night. But in my mind, they all wanted to beat me to death and take my passport and camera. Heh…heh… I laughed to myself. How self centred of you, Louise….

I kept going, quickly to the lights of the one hotel left in the village. They charged me 400,000 VND at first, but then gave me back another 100,000 and I think I found out why. All night long, drunk Vietnamese men were singing karaoke and fighting, just one floor below me. The inside of the place was kind of open concept, so the voices seemed like they were in the same room.

At one point, a crazy old man stared in through the bars on my window and I smacked the pillow at him and yelled at him to get away. The pretty young woman accompanying him was probably a prostitute, and gently coaxed him away, giggling.

If anyone is reading this planning to go to Ngoc Vung, please book ahead if possible. I have no idea how, but try. Just don't get into a situation where you have to stay at this place. I took pictures of the sign outside for your convenience.

Worst. Sleep. Of. My. Life. Wow.

My communal room