Nha Trang - Vietnam 09.03.2008

After a very bumpy and hot bus ride from Da Lat, we arrived in Nha Trang. Sitting above the wheels of the bus meant that every bump sent us flying at least 20cm into the air. Even while we were sleeping!

They speak the good english here.

Nha Trang was very hot from the moment we arrived, but we found a nice cool room (which it needed to be to cool us down after the hot climb to the 4th floor). It was perfectlly located right across from the beach.

The cat fell asleep while looking for the mouse :)

Boat Trip

We set off early the next morning on a boat trip which stopped at three different islands. Our first stop was to go snorkelling above the coral reefs. It was definitely not as colourful as the reefs in the Pacific ocean, but there was still plenty of little fish to see.

Our very animated guide showed us a sea creature which looked like a pom-pom made of spikes. It was called the sea urchin, and we were offered a sample of sea urchin soup, which is supposed to be an aphrodesiac. The soup was quite nice, a bit like a congee soup.

A huge lunch was served in the centre of the boat, and afterwards, some of the crew formed a band, and played local music. The lower deck was small, so we escaped to the roof after lunch. Neither of us were keen on participating in the dancing below. The music was so loud that we could feel the vibrations very strongly as we sat on the roof.

The second island was intended for jetskiing and other watersports, but there didn't seem to be much on offer, so we just relaxed by the beach. We became friends with a Swedish traveller, named Peter, who was staying at our hotel and was also on the boat trip. It was great talking with him, and we caught up again for dinner that night.

The third stop was at the Aquarium. This was the best part of the trip. We saw so many huge fish! There were sharks, eels, and turtles. Some of the fish sat near the window and just stared back at us. It was like both us and the fish were fascinated by each other.

Nha Trang by Scooter

We hired a scooter from our hostel, and discovered too late that the speedo didn't work. We thought the petrol guage didn't either, so we broke down in the middle of the road. Thankfully there was a lady selling petrol in bottles at the side of the street, so we refuelled and went on our way.

Our first stop for the day was the Nagar Cham Towers. These were similar in structure to the temples at Angkor Wat, but they seemed to have been built more recently.

Thap Ba Hot Spring Centre

Next we went to the Thap Ba Hot Spring Centre. Here Loren had a mineral mud bath, and was coated from head to toe in mud! Artur was a little hesitant to try the same thing, so he went to the mineral water baths. There was also a waterfall of mineral water that we swam in as well. The actual mineral water baths were 38 degrees, pretty hot in the already hot climate!

Kim Than Phat To

After being cleansed at the spa, we went to the Kim Than Phat To Buddha monument. It was a long climb to the top, where a huge white buddha sat on top of the hill, overlooking the city. There was also a huge, white, reclining buddha. Beggars lined the steps to the top, many of whom appeared to be victims of Agent Orange. They had missing limbs, eyes that don't open and deformed bodies.

Oceanographic Museum

We clearly had not had enough of marine life as yet, so we headed off to the National Oceanographic Museum. There was a greater variety of fish here, but they were not as big as those in the Aquarium. We enjoyed watching the sharks, who came to life as soon as they realised we were watching. One little guy kept swimming back and forth against the glass.

Centre of Embroidery and Craft

Later that night, we stopped at the Centre of Embroidery and Craft which was right next to our hotel. Artur wasn't too keen to visit it, but it turned out to be really fascinating. The embroidery was so detailed and the scenes depicted were truly artistic. Some were beautiful scenes of traditional Vietnam, while others were pictures conveying various emotions and the oppression of captivity. The centre also housed traditional Vietnamese dresses, shoes, handbags and jewelry.

Last day in Nha Trang

We intended to visit Vinpearl island, which has a massive Hollywood-like sign, that can be seen for miles. We weren't sure what it was, but we found out that it was some sort of amusement park. Tickets were sold at exhorbitant prices in package deals, so we decided to spend the day at the beach instead.

Before stopping at the beach, we went to the market. Where we narrowly avoided being ripped-off several times. We stopped by the side of the road to eat some cake from the market and a cold drink. A security guy came up to us and asked us if the scooter was ours. Artur, suspecting the worst, said 'No'. The guy didn't know what to say then, but came back gesturing and telling us that we couldn't park the bike there. In true Vietnamese fashion, Artur simply pretended not to understand, saying only 'No comprendo'. The guy kept trying, but had a bit of a smile on his face, knowing there was nothing he could do.

Finally at the beach, we settled down to play in the waves and relax on the sand. Unfortunately Loren lost her sunglasses in the waves and is now semi-blind in the sun, as her eyes don't see well in bright light. Hopefully we'll find her another pair soon.