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Published: June 21st 2006
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So it's been a week now in Nha Trang and I'm a little concerned that I'll never leave. I actually have no choice but to leave in the next couple of days because A) I only have 2 weeks left in Vietnam and really don't want to miss out on Sapa in the north and B) I may have jaundice soon if I don't stop the binge drinking.
Sophie and I arrived after a 9 hour overnight bus trip from Saigon. I took gravol and woke up after 8 hours of sleep! impressive eh? I was very happy that the night buses agree with me because the way I see it, it's like one night's accomodation included in the bus fare and it saves a day of travelling, so night buses are the way to go. We checked into a really nice hotel and headed straight for the beach - which is stunning. The water is a beautiful turquoise and it's actually cool and refreshing, not hot bath water like in Cambodia! In the daytime up until 3pm it's quite empty and then suddenly all the locals flood it. On Sunday it was crazy, you looked up and down and there
were swarms of people. It's really nice to walk up and down the beach at those times because the people are so incredibly friendly and just want to talk with you practicing their english.
I'd say the only downfall of Nha Trang is the theft... which is VERY bad. I have met at least a dozen people who have had stuff stolen. On our first night out Sophie had her bag stolen. She had everything in there: plane tickets, ipod, camera, credit card, debit card, cash... really shitty. I'd like to say that's the reason we're still here - waiting for her bank cards to arrive. But really we are having such a great time and have accumulated to a really amazing group of about 20 people. The night life is pretty stellar as well. We basically only frequent two bars and it's like a repeat every single day! Get up, eat, go to the beach, eat, beach, shower, eat, bar. Not exactly good for the health...nor the budget.
So aside from the beach and the buckets, we did manage a couple of days of sightseeing. We did a couple of trips on motorbikes. The first time we just rode
around (or rather north and south) of Nha Trang for just a few hours, but it was a really beautiful ride. The second trip was with a couple of other people and we rode much farther north to a set of waterfalls. It was very fun but at the same time a little on the insane side. The drivers here are psychotic. It's one thing to be on the buses not really paying attention to how insane your bus driver is (I make a point never to sit in the front side because it's too hair raising), but it's quite another to be on a motorbike on the highways having those crazy buses coming right at you. And I am also not a fan of the goats and cows that spontaneously decide to stampede across the road in front of you... all in all I'd say I'd prefer not to ever ride on the busy highways again, but it was another adventure and the waterfalls were worth the trip. They reminded me a lot of the Sooke Potholes back on Vancouver Island. You had to clamber up the rocks for quite a ways to get to the three different waterfalls
The Jars of vodka redbull
I swear there was something else in them... they made for some pretty crazy nights. and there were tons of pools carved out by the massive boulders. It was just really refreshing to swim in cold fresh water for a change and get a free massage from the waterfalls.
Other highlights here include FOOD! I'm really in heaven. I am addicted to fresh baguettes in the morning accompanied by the incredibly strong vietnamese coffees. And for dinner, when I don't eat fresh bbqed (right on your table on a mini fire) fish, we eat at this amazing indian restaurant (OMAR'S!!!! Thanks Mel and Kate!). Some of the best indian I've ever had I think, next to Vij's in Vancouver of course. I think it's easy to get stuck in these places when you keep meeting such great people and really get to know the place. But slowly our group is leaving and it looks like Sophie and I are next. It will be really sad and I really hope there isn't going to be a big crash from this high.
But there is so much more to see in Vietnam and I'm especially excited to shop til I drop in Hoi An.
P.S. Many more photos: http://www.flickr.com/photos/shurd/sets/
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