–August 28,

We awoke to rain pelting our bedroom balcony windows and it lasted most of the day! We had our morning Javas and followed with our breakfast of fried egg sandwiches, and a yogurt. Then the morning was just watching a storm roll in followed by another one. The wind was more active much of the day also. We watched some You tube, read, played games. Rainy day type stuff. We still did not break out the jigsaw puzzle though!

Lunch we had to get out. We opted for the Meet n' eat. When we walked up (with our umbrella, because it was still raining), Vi – the hostess – said, “Hi, Paula!” I returned saying, “Hello, Vi!” Both of us grinning from ear to ear! Then she asked Jeff his name, sat us and gave us a menu. We ordered Tomato Soup, Rice-paper Spring Rolls, and Stir- fried Chicken & Cashew. It was all good. We paid and left. We stopped at the little convenience store in the bottom on of building, but did not get anything because we could not decide on supper right now – maybe the rain will quit. (It could happen.) Back in our room – afternoon was same as the morning. 

Supper was some instant Ramen from the convenience store. I had Pad Thai flavored and Jeff had Spicy Korean Chicken flavored. Not the best of meals, but sometimes it is just fuel. Sunset was hidden behind the clouds again. But then the weather cleared for the fireworks! We are still loving them, and they changed them up some more – still think it is due to a National Day celebration. It's crazy but we feel the reverberation from the shot of the fireworks, clear up here.

—August 29,  Happy Anniversary to US!!!

Today is our 32nd wedding anniversary! Yeah!!

This morning was cloud covered, but no rain. So we had our Javas and then breakfast of Muesli and yogurt. We set out for adventure. We trekked down to the “Colosseum”. We arrived at the ticket office and Jeff bought us each a VIP pass or ticket. This pass included:  the cable car ride- to and from; Paradise Island's Aquatopia Water Park and Exotica Village; Entry onto Kiss Bridge; viewing of a Vietnamese Water Puppet Show; and lastly, the Nightly Light Show- showing the Kiss of the Sea, followed by Fireworks. This whole package cost 1,000,000…  Dong each, which is $40.

We are going to “Sun World Hon Thom Paradise Island” (this and the following quoted info is from the Sun World Hon Thom Guide Map brochure we received) departing from the “An Thoi Station, A Mini Colosseum,” to  “Travel On The Cable Car, World Record Length of 7,899.9 meters (the world's longest three-wire cable car and has a Guinness World Record)”. This cable car is amazingly smooth. We are in a car with two other couples, but there can be 30 people total. The three wire system moving us is pretty slack- meaning we climb to a tower (there are six towers total); go over the tower; and then descend halfway to the next tower, to climb back up.

We do this for 15 minutes and span the ocean and two, small islands- Hon Roi and Hon Dua. These islands are simply local (fishing, I assume) Vietnamese living life. the cable car does not have stops to off on these islands. All the sights and visual overload kept my mind occupied so I did not feel scared so much as just in awe and taking it all in. I took lots of pictures as well. A quick 15 minutes later, we glide down into Hon Thom Station, on Hon Thom “Paradise” island, which is literally an island taken over by the “two” adventure parks.

We off load the cable car at 1000-ish and set off. We found a locker rental place, paying 170,000 dong ($6.83) for a small locker and one towel. This was in the water park, so we put in our swim suit stuff because we want to go to the other park first, Exotica Village. There are just two things to “do” over there: Roaring Timbers and Eagle's Eye.

We arrive at the first the Roaring Timbers, and have to have our ticket! What it is back at the locker!! So Jeff went back and got the tickets. We now arrive at the Roaring Timbers- “the first and only wood roller coaster in Vietnam.” It is a ride of “890 meter” route (2,920 feet) with initial “height of 32.4m” (106 feet) and “max speed of 80kmph” (50mph). (And this description took me longer to type than the actual ride did.🤣😂🤣) What a blast🎢🎢!! Of course, we rode with our hands up screaming the whole ride. What a youth regenerator! We both had huge recollections of the wooden roller coaster ride from Joyland back home. Anyway, from this we went to the Eagle's eye. It is a “Sky Tower of 120m” (394 feet). You sit in a cabin that can hold 70 people and gently spin up for 360 degree view of the island, then you gently spin down- making it an observatory “ride.” So not thrill ride, and we had just seen all the island coming in on the cable car. I was not impressed with it. This now concluded all the adventure in Exotica. It was touted as a village of “enchanting exploration … with spectacular view(s) of  giant coral reefs and an ancient shipwreck”… yada, yada, yada. To me is was many cement 'structured' reefs and a ship, along walkways to get to the two rides – one of which is superior. There is a mass of construction ongoing around the island, whether it is for more rides or more housing infrastructure, that remains to be seen.

So now we walk back to the Aquatopia Water Park. First we went to our locker and changed into our “swimwear”. (We have bought rash guards – which are full body coverage to protect snorkelers, swimmers from the sun – and this is our swimwear.) We are not the only people wearing them! Now we set out to conquer “Asia's leading water park of 2020 and 2021.”  This park is also supposed to be “mysterious island theme(d) of wild aboriginal tribes.” Again this is the cement statuary from what I recall as many sea creatures: a giant-evil Octopus, Snakes, and various cute fish, starfish, etc.; many “dancing” fruits in the eating areas; and lastly huge statues of a possessed Poseidon and a mad Medusa. But forget the themes. It was great fun! We so enjoyed the water rides and going from one to another, usually climbing up many steps to get the needed height for drops or sliding ventures down.  There are supposed to be “more than 20 of the most modern rides in Southeast Asia,” including “5-star rides💦.”

I know we did not do that many but we did do quite a few. The ones I recall: first ride of four runs- Golden Waves (going around in a mini whirlpool), Pearl Canyon (many swooping banked arcs), Caves of Waves (enclosed with at least two big swooshing 'cave' openings), and Tropical Twister (an enclosed “psychedelic” lit-up twisting tunnel); second ride of two runs- Poseidon's Revenge (a sweeping run down to an open cone-shape that zigzags us up and down – X3 – through the cone) and Medusa's Trap (tumbling and swooshing to go through three smaller cone-shaped areas) — I went through these two runs mostly backwards; third ride, one run- Sea Dragon (a twisting, turning slosh-meandering with some “uphill” spots); fourth ride of two runs- Anaconda (long twisting, “snaking”, swooping run) and Taipan (a big drop to a huge banked wall that you fly up and then down – seemed we would fly over!); fifth ride of two runs, but 4 slides- Snake Fight – you get into a “pod” shoot-drop and at a three-two-one the floor releases [you totally free-fall through the tube, down to the slide, to a stop (Jeff did this one) or you do a small free-fall and then a turn out to the slide down (I did this one and I did not like it); sixth ride with three runs- the Python Plunge (similar free-fall as the snake fight, Jeff did this) and the King and Queen Cobra, that were closed (I skipped this whole ride). The only other ride was the meandering float-along of the Lost Lagoon, a lazy flowing river. 

Wowza! What fun we had!! I had lunch a Chicken Sausage a glorified hotdog on a stick (not even a bun) for 50,000 Dong ($2). Jeff chose better and had Vietnamese-style Pork Ribs with french fries, a small salad and a drink for 190,000 Dong ($7.64). Of course we shared each others orders.  After lunch we went back through the water park redoing most of the rides. Sometime during our fun, it started to rain a bit, but this did not affect us. The only one ride that was not open was the Octopus, which was a big swooping turn into a long slide down. There was also an area for kiddie rides and pools that we did not do. Finished we went back our locker, rinsed off and changed – turning in our rental towel. We went back to Exotica and did the Roaring Timbers a second and final time.

Now returned to the Gondola Cable Car for the ride back to Phu Quoc, it was 1530. This ride back did affect me more, but we obviously arrived back safe. We went back to our place – in the rain, took a real shower, and a small, much- needed siesta.

Around 1745, we went back out. Now we use the passes to go out on the Kiss Bridge in the lagoon of Sunset Town. It is “designed by an Italian architect… total length of 800m (2,625 feet)” and the upper level “come(s) close to converging… separated by a distance of 30cm (12 inches), just right for a hug, a handshake, or a kiss.” “The special distance is a celebration of connection, love, and amity.” We went out – Jeff from the south wing and me the north wing. Then we met and did our kiss🫂🧑🏻‍❤️‍💋‍👩🏻🎆!! Someone flying a drone took a picture with my phone for us! That was super nice!! 

Then we trek off the bridge to the edge of the beach to watch a Vietnamese Water Puppet Show. This is recognized by UNESCO as a world intangible cultural heritage. It was the most unique puppet show either of us had seen! They started around 1,000 years ago and used to be performed in rice paddy fields. The puppets are controlled on the water surface, that is knee deep, telling of Vietnamese Folk tales. I particularly liked one puppet playing a sitar. He seemed much more animated and the controller actually had the puppet do flips! Hilarious🤣!

After the show we went to dinner at The Merchant(at the Hilton). It was supper great!  We had an appetizer- Mixed Beef Salad which included a layer of lettuce topped with young banana, starfruit, coriander, carrot, green onion, slices of beef tenderloin, and peanuts tossed with sweet & sour fish sauce, accompanied by prawn crackers. Then one main was Grilled Sea Bass with Rice Paper Roll which included a nice grilled Sea Bass filet with an assortment of mixed salad greens, turmeric, cucumber, and green mango; rice Vermicelli noodles; sweet & sour fish sauce; and rice paper to make your own rice paper rolls (this was not what we thought we would get, but flavors were all great). The other main was Pan-Roasted Salmon (with a side of saffron sauce) on bed of mashed potato and another bed of mashed potato with green peas and topped with asparagus and bacon pieces. We also had a sparkling white wine, a Toso- Perla di Vitigno. Total bill 2,683,000 Dong ($107.86).

Just as we were finishing it really started raining! So we hung out a bit and it did let up – some. We decided to go on to the Kiss of the Sea Show. As we were entering the stands, they were selling 20,000 Dong (80cents) plastic ponchos. We bought one each. The show was better down here – great lights, super water & fire affects. We were pleasantly surprised… then the long awaited — the fireworks!  They burst and reached out to you!🎆OHH! AHH!!

The show completed we went back to our condo…. what a super-fantastic day and Anniversary!!!!!