And so we left Cambodia, hopped over the border into vietnam and got a boat to Phu Quoc Island in time for Christmas. The first day of our Christmas in the sun was spent running errands in town. Supplies of bug spray and sun cream had run low and the camera was full and needed burning to DVD. After all the travelling we'd done we completely flaked in our beach bungalow and spent the whole evening chilling out and watching rubbish movies (much needed and also felt good to just sit still for a change). The next day we felt revived and hit the beach for some more relaxation with beers in hand. In the evening (it was Christams Eve but didn't really feel like it as there had been no build up) we walked down the beach to Amigo's bar where the cocktails were flowing and the cheesy rock tribute band were playing.

Christmas day... We had a great idea to hit the night market seperatley with 10 dollars each to buy gifts for each other. However the market turned out to be a bit rubbish and so I picked up a 1 dollar bracelet and unfortunately Heather got nothing. Things weren't all bad though as we'd booked a boat trip to 3 islands with snorkelling (or as the helpful hotel owner called it Shnor-kellin). We applied copious amounts of sun cream and headed out on the boat. First stop was a floating fishing platform where we stocked up with fish and these spikey black balls which fried up with garlic and chilli tasted amazing. The boat came to a stop in a cove of one of the islands and we tried our hand at fishing with bits of squid. Apparently the weather was too windy and there were no fish around but I think we were all just rubbish fishermen and they were being polite. After fishing we donned our snorkelling gear and flippers and plopped into the sea for a swim. Again windy conditions made visibility less than perfect but once we got out into the coral and rocky areas there were plenty of beautiful luminous fish, crabs and cuttlefish swimming around. A feast of seafood, noodles and rice awaited us when we returned. There was also a meat alternative for non fish eaters like Heather. With full bellies we moved to the next island and dived back into the water for some more snorkelling. On the journey back to the dock we just laid out on the deck chilling in the sun. That evening we ate a less than festive meal of pizza and chips, which was actually a nice change from the usual left over turkey and stuffing sarnies.

So Christmas was over and it was kind of like it never happened. Instead of the usual slobbing infront of the telly and nursing a hangover we felt fresh and decided to explore the island on a scooter. We were trying to find a pepper farm and national park but somehow ended up at the North end of the island miles from anywhere. Not to be dettered we asked for directions to the National PArk and backtracked to find it. When we finally did we were told you couldn't go in without an arranged tour... Typical. So we kept on driving towards the beaches on the west coast and came across a nice little pepper farm with a friendly owner who we got chatting to for about an hour. Her son "Tiger" was a real cutie and was playing with the pepper pots as we were looking to buy one. After our mammoth trip we were happy to find a resort called Mango Bay with it's own private beach and spent the rest of the evening chilling on their beach and snacking in their bar.

Our last day in Phu Quoc we spent chilling on the beach again. We'd had to move hotels as there were no rooms available when we'd tried to extend our stay. We'd been getting on well with the family in the bungalow next to ours and as a farewell asked if they'd like to go for dinner at the night market. I pushed the boat out and joined Michell in ordering he sea snail which was a major disappointment and turned out to be far too chewy and tasted of nothing at all. It was a nice way to end our time in Phu Quoc and we were relaxed and ready to hit the Mekong Delta...