Right now, we're sitting on the veranda of our resort, the sea stretching out before us, wild from the short rains and wind. This coastline reminds us of the Eastern Cape back home: waters pleasant to swim in, but not particularly inviting when gazed upon. William is buried in his book, whilst I watch the locals frolic on the beach with their children. We've finally made it to the island.

We've found a resort right on the beach, which is substantially less expensive compared to the others along the coastline (we're paying about 16 USD per night for two, whilst the place next door charges 55 USD). The island is actually filled with foreign influence - there are Caribbean bars, Australian-owned bars, and many a pizzeria about.

Yesterday had cost us a small fortune just to get to the island and enjoy the local cuisine (we've promised ourselves no Western food whilst travelling), and so we threw caution to the wind and went from place to place on a beer hunt. The one bar in particular was great - Coco's Caribbean bar - where we had fried quails eggs, played pool and chess, and enjoyed the music. We discovered a lovely seafood restaurant just up the road that 'barbecues' an entire fish of your choice. Delightful!

On Friday morning we finally mustered up the courage to rent a scooter. It was worth it. We went to the must-see attraction here: the Suo Tranh Waterfalls. We of course got lost about four times, but eventually found the place. It's really interesting: the entrance to the waterfall hike is decorated with cement statues depicting various scenes of nature. Quite a sight. The walk was lovely, and the swim in the pools formed by the many boulders scattered about an absolute treat.

We then made the trek to Sao beach - what a road to drive on! We're still sure the scooter's shocks are no longer functional. The beach was more in line with what we expected of the island, with calm waters and long stretches of white beach. On our way home we stopped at a roadside cafe that served traditional cong cake (banh cong). We're still not sure what it's made of, but it was yummy. Imagine a savoury muffin with prawns in, deep fried, and you're on track.

The evening was spent in much the same manner as before: many beers at Coco's bar, and then a small barbecued tuna at the seafood spot. Sometimes routines aren't too bad after all.

We woke up very early on Saturday morning, packed up our bags for the room transfer the resort had forced us into, and then headed up the street to wait for our bus. Today was the day for snorkeling and exploring the south of the island. Much to our dismay though, the strong winds and overcast sky meant our snorkeling trip was altered a lot.

The first stop of the tour bus was at the Pearl Farm. We learnt quite a bit about the creation and harvesting of commercial pearls. Well worth it. Next we hopped onto a large boat that took us out to sea, and then to a sheltered bay where we learnt how to fish Vietnamese style. Finally it was time to snorkel, The visibility was bad, but the experience was lovely. The coral reef we managed to see was fascinating. Unfortunately, due to the weather, no further snorkeling was to take place; and so we headed back to the beach (Sao beach, what are the odds) and frolicked about. This was however after the crew had served a delicious spread of Vietnamese cuisine. Lunch on a double-decked boat just off an island. Superb.

The sea and sun sapped all our energy. We were two very sleepy tourists that afternoon, barely making the walk to Coco's bar for a few card games and beers. We ended up at our usual dinner spot, before heading home to watch a David Attenborough documentary and falling asleep.

Sunday was dedicated to rest & recuperation. We woke up, put on our cozies and headed down to the beach for coffee and a morning swim. The wind was quite forceful. After going to a side-street restaurant at another resort for breakfast, we made out way home and prepared for a morning of lounging at the beach with our books. To my dismay, the only English books that our resort had to offer where children's books, where 5 mice solved mysteries. It was certainly a more light-hearted read!

We strolled along the beach and had our final dip in the sea of Phu Quoc, before heading out for supper and a last visit to Coco's bar.