Day 275 - Cham Island

Does it get much better than this?



We specifically wanted to go snorkelling. That much I remember clearly. We should have known we were being lied to - the day before when booking our cookery course, we were told *explicitly* we would be cooking our own meals - this was a lie. instead we watched someone else 'prepare' our meals, and we weren't even sure the end result was the food we watched being prepared. But it was great.



So here we are, booking our snorkelling tour, handing over the cash and being told the next day we would be picked up 8am. Which we were. An hour long, very choppy and vomit-inducing boat ride out to sea from Hoi An, and we're approaching Cham Island. Its big, high-rising with sweeping clouds billowing over the highest peaks, and the sun-drenched stretches of sand along the shoreline are calling us.



Sam's relieved to be on land - she genuinely thought we were gonna die on the journey over - and within minutes we're wandering across paddy fields towards some ancient pagoda. Ady, being a bit of knob, manages to lose his footing and step into one of the deep paddy fields, losing a flip-flop which he carefully fishes out with the other foot.



I get to be an idiot inside a chinese new year dragon as well, which was great. I love horsing around in animal costumes.





But aside from that, we're wandering around the local village, through gorgeous back-streets waving at small, scrubby children playing with sticks, and skimming stones on the gently lapping waves on shorefront as we wait for a boat to take us to the snorkelling site. And after we've boarded the boat, within minutes we're in sight of one of the most beautiful beaches I've seen - and I've seen hundreds.



Ady's wetting himself with excitement, snapping photos at every opportunity, as we shore up on the beach, drop anchor, and try to clamber onto the sand without getting our feet wet. And just minutes later, we're goofing around in the warm waters, lying on the beach soaking up the (hotter than the sun) sun. Its SO nice, and we're the only 12 people on the whole beach. Cat and I jump in one of these little round boats and try and row our way along, but its not working, and we're sinking. So we ditch it for some swimming and sunbathing, before tucking into some fish for lunch.



And the afternoon is spent snorkelling in the warm waters at the end of the beach, laughing at how nasty the chavvy couple are that are on the trip too and wandering the surroundings in search of the monkeys we can hear. There's not much to see underwater here, but we're pulling out starfish all over the place and as the sun starts to set across the water we pack up our stuff and ride the roof of the boat back to shore, making use of every last ray of light.



What ensured after this was my favourite valentines day...ever. No cards for the duncs, but bonnie and ady bought us all a rose each, which I wore on my shirt for the rest of the day. and much drunkenness with the australian family we met at the cooking course. Shots of tequila (Cat!), campagne bottles, too much beer, and a an exceptional showing of my skills at the pool table (whoop whoop). The night was ended with Renee, australian daughter of the coolest australian mum ever, showing profanities at the top of her voice down the street as an 'australian goodbye'. mental.





And for our last day we all dropped ourselves poolside at a local hotel and soaked the sun (again) until it had officially dropped out of sight. My constant diving around the pool (I'm like an 8-year-old around a swimming pool) seems to have done me some damage, as I've gone down with some illness. Its LIKE flu, but without the sickness and with the ability to follow the others to a restaurant although failing to eat anything worthwhile. Still, star movies keeps us occupied (some film about ice dancing which had skating-fetish Ady glued to the set). And early the next morning we're back on a flight, heading home to Ho Chi Minh City where we while away the day, you guessed it, but the pool, before wiping the tears from our eyes as the guys headed off home to London.



Its been awesome. Its been a holiday. Its been my perfect distraction and kept me busy enough to ignore my blogging duties for a full two weeks. I've got to know Cat and Bonnie better than ever, and spent some much-needed time with best boy-mate ady, who's been missed more than most. And now they're gone, on the day of Chinese New Year (which is called Tet in Vietnam), and I'm still sick, as is sam now. Its bedtime for both of us.