We arrived from our sleeper train late in the morning and went to meet up with Victoria at our hotel before checking out the town. It was lovely to stretch our legs as we walked all up and down the beach stretching our legs and assessing the area. Towards the end of our walk, we came to a river outlet jam-packed with house boats and men gracefully casting their fishing nets while people ferried goods from the shore to the boats with small, bowl-shaped, wicker basket boats.
When it became dark, we headed home to bathe before going out. After a short stop to grab some fantastic street sandwiches, we stopped in to the Sailors' Club. We had heard wonderful things about the place from fellow travellers and were not disappointed. The surroundings were plush, the drinks were cheap, and the whole place was on the beach.
The following day we all slept in late before eating and laying on the beach all afternoon. It wasn't hot out or sunny and the surf was ROUGH, but the relaxed mood and the salt spray were just what we were all looking for. Eventually, we pulled ourselves off of the beach chairs to compare prices of boat tours and bus tickets with travel agencies. Then, we grabbed chicken drumsticks from an impromptu restaurant on the side of a road. After a minute to check email, and a quick shower, we had another fantastic street sandwich (baguettes are big here because of the French) and headed back to the Sailors' Club. Yes, we weren't trying anything new, but that's not why we came to Nha Trang.
Victoria had carried a purse that night, which she had mentioned earlier because she knew it wasn't the best idea, but after all, we were going out for a nice drink. We walked back from the Sailors' Club around 10pm, but no one was out on our hotel's side street since most people in Vietnam go to bed early. When we were only meters away from the gate to the hotel, some unfortunate events transpired, and it all happened very fast. A motorbike came out of the dark with two men on it and veered toward Victoria to grab her bag. Before we knew it, Victoria and the man from the back of the bike were on the ground. I screamed (apparently very bad things) at the top of my lungs and Matt, who had been carrying two 1.5L bottles of water, nailed the bad man in the head with them. Victoria never let go of her bag, and in seconds the man on the bike sped off with his empty-handed cohort sprinting after. The whole thing happened in less than 5 seconds and although Victoria was shaken up and fairly scraped, she was okay and she had her bag.
That night, we all had a pretty restless sleep.
The following day, we were trying to make jokes about our triumph and the incident was on everyone's minds. We had scheduled a boat trip, so we had a quick breakfast and headed to the dock. We stopped by four islands on the trip and the first was just to swim, so all three of us donned our suits and leapt off the top of the boat. It was a bit chilly, so we didn't last long. On our way to the second island, we stopped by one of the floating villages to pick up a few fish. After we moored at the island, the staff folded down the seats into a giant table and laid out a massive lunch for us all to share. When our bellies were full, the staff got up on the table with some plastic drums and the tour guide turned into a singer, the cook into a drummer, and the captain into a great guitarist. It was fantastic and you can see the video of it here.
Following the performance, the guide stripped to his shorts and leapt in the water with a buoy and a bottle, saying that shots were free for anybody swimming. Seconds later we were all in the South China Sea and the sun had finally come out. After a little Vietnamese rice vodka and a half dozen flying leaps off the top of the boat, we were on our way to Tam, which was island number three. While I sunbathed, Matt and Victoria went parasailing for $10. Myself, I couldn't justify the expense. The next stop was an island with an aquarium that I LOVED. I can part with $1.50 to see sharks, bright little tropical fish, eels, six-foot-long snappers, and to touch sea turtles.
It was a great way to spend a day and it cost lest than ten bucks. Amazing. Following our trip, we showered, ate, and hopped aboard a sleeper bus destined for Hoi An. I've never been on a sleeper bus before, but it's not a bad option when there's no train. It was about the size of a greyhound and fit about 32 people almost completely reclined. Three "beds" wide, two deep, and five (head-to-toe) long, with the rear serving as one big cave-bed for 5 people. We reached our destination early the next morning and grabbed a room and a nap before checking out the town.
Hoi An was an international trading port as early as the 1600's but lost prominence when silt buildup from the river eventually made the port difficult to access. This environmental inevitability saved the beautiful old town from over development. Many of the old homes and temples are still standing and Chinese, European, and Japanese influences are clearly visible. The town has become a tourist destination and is now known for its skilled tailors as well as its history. Matt and I both had a few garments made and I won't trouble you with all the appointments and fittings, but it was definitely worth it.
Our first morning, we worked out logistics and tailor business. For lunch, we had a chance to sample the local specialties. The three of us had cao lau (noodles with sprouts, greens, rice crackers and pork in broth), fried wonton (sauteed vegetables on a fried, flat, square of dough) and white rose (a small steamed dumpling of shrimp). Fried wonton is my favorite, and the only comparison I can think of is nachos! Delicious Asian nachos! Yum! After lunch we wandered around the old town, soaking up the atmosphere and visiting the historic buildings and the museum.
The second day, we took a bus to My Son; ruins from the 7th Century built by the Cham people. It was a lovely experience (although not the most sustainable) to be able to touch the sculptures and enter the ancient buildings. It is a UNESCO heritage site, but since it wasn't well-marked, we basically had the opportunity to explore it for ourselves. Interestingly, most of the buildings were made from brick and though some of them have crumbled, several are still standing strong with little hint of decay.
The last day, we bid farewell to Victoria in the morning, repeatedly visited the tailor, ate and went to the local market for a little gift shopping. Then we briefly used the internet before picking up our clothes (finally!) at the tailor, then packing for Cambodia.
Sorry this post isn't as well written as others. Less frequent internet access and a tummy ache have alot to do with that.
The pictures in this post are: the beach at Nha Trang, beautiful blue (house) boats, friendly fishermen, Victoria and Matt and I at the Sailors' Club, local beverages in the South China Sea, a lantern shop in Hoi An, the ruins at My Son, a fascinating sculpture from varying centuries, my dress (i tried to get it in a red/orange, but they didn't have enough fabric that color )
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