Good morning SE Asia!: 30/11/2014

Today was a very memorable cycle. We started off on the main road but would later head pretty much off-road en-route to Mui Ne - the famous windsurfing spot of Asia. We had a couple of days off planned (again) and looked forward to a few beach days and maybe even trying the sport itself if it was within budget.

The weather was good and the route kept throwing nice little surprises at us. We passed a great floatilla of hundreds of fishing boats in one lagoon harbour, and watched from the road bridge as the locals got about in coracles between the big boats. Later the coastal path became all headland and outcrops of rock and the wind picked up. Then as we turned off the main road to plot a straighter route to Mui Ne, the whole place went Gobi Desert on us. Strange inland freshwater lagoons separated from the sea by towering sand dunes that would not look out of place in Dubai or Egypt. Very odd. It was hot though and J was suffering from the heat today, needing an impromptu wee sit down beside the sand dunes at one point before we could find a place in the shade to replenish with cold Pepsi. She was fine though, just heat tired.

We also passed the older American guys from yesterday on their shiny racers earlier on in the day, and shared the road with them for a few km's as they chased us down after we overtook with a smile. There was not much chatting just polite hellos before we left them at the top of a hill and didn't see them again. Hope they enjoy the next 200km stage they said they will do before getting the flight to Thailand to continue cycling. Horses for courses.

Before reaching Mui Ne town on the way to the long stretch of mostly resort occupied beach where our accommodation was we saw another great dune which was being climbed by tourists, alongside another ostrich riding place and a load of restaurants. We didn't stop in the slightly rough looking town but passed by needing a drink. We eventually stopped 6km shy of the backpackers hotel (not actually a hostel) and had a drink whilst I watched a coracle struggling past with a quite large outboard on it. Fascinating how they think that would work. I have never seen more splashing for such little forward effort.

Hotel (Mui Ne Backpakers Hostel) was great and run by a Australian guy who was privately schooled near Aberystwyth and spoke fluent Welsh to shame my rusty patter Cymraeg! The rough seas were packed in the afternoon with the kite boarders and it was good to watch. We had a walk and a drink on the beach and sat on the loungers of the hotel right at the sea edge. Luckily for us there was also a plastic chair Vietnamese restaurant almost next door that did all our favourite stuff, so we ate there. Prices were a bit inflated due to the tourist tax but food was spot on.