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Published: December 29th 2011
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Hotels being built
everywhere this is on the road between Danang and Hoi An Well even though I was sad to say goodbye to Hoi An as its so beautiful there and I love it, it was time for me to have some beach time!!! As we did not make it to Phu Quoc which I am very sad about, Nha Trang is second best and it was easy to get to. It was only going to be a short hop on the plane – a one hour flight – well that was the plan. We tried to book online and only the pricey seats were left and thought it a good idea to book our flights from Nha Trang to Saigon at the same time but the amount that came through was very confusing (millions of Dong can do that to you) and we thought it would be better to go to an office and sort it out. We got delayed a bit and so not tuned into Vietnams lunch breaks as we have not really had to do anything like this before or where it mattered so when we got there at 12 they were closed for lunch. That means about 2 hours. A lot of businesses in Vietnam close for lunch and
Rice paddies
from the train window. then they stay open quite late at night which is not a bad thing at all especially during the hot seasons. We had something to eat drank a coffee walked around and then got to the offices. SOLD OUT to Nha Trang. Yip those tickets we saw were the last ones and they were gone. No more flights that day and none the next. So we went to find some train tickets and were lucky to get “soft seats” on the last day train out. Then it was rush back to the airline office to book our flights to Saigon. There were two flights left that had seats the very early flight or the very late flight. I was scared we would miss new year if the plane was delayed and then getting into town we would miss all the festivities so its going to be a miserable Terry for sure as he hates early mornings. Well he is up early so that’s not too much off a drama it will be the get going that I am sure is going to mean a few moans and groans.
The drive to Danang where
Party time
on the train the train station is was mind boggeling due to the vast amounts of hotels and villa resorts going up. I don’t think we have any hotels of the size that are going up here. So much money being invested in Vietnam. I feel so lucky to have been here 7 years ago and to have experienced this change. There seems to be a lot of prosperity around. We have not seem many beggars like there were before. Most people are well dressed and seem to have jobs.
The train arrived late – about half an hour and we got our “soft seats” which turned out to be a 4 berth cabin and our seats were the bunks on the top!!! In the compartment was a Danish guy, Per, and a Vietnamese kid well he looked like a kid but turned out to be 22, the locals look so young. I thought he was about 18 max. In hindsight I should have paid the kid a few dong and asked him to swap seats – I did make it up and down to the top bunk a few times but on a moving train at 53 it’s getting
View from the top
from our 17th floor balcony a little bit more tough. To ease the pain we cracked open our half full bottle of gin and had a party with Per. The boys went on to beers after that and the time passed quite quickly. There was food coming up and down the train. We had corn on the cob at lunch time and then for dinner I had rice with hard boiled eggs (Vietnamese style they were delish I love them) and Terry had chicken and we shared some veg. It was tasty and cheap. We had one unknown stop on the way and were told there was a buffalo on the tracks. Don’t think we hit it!!! We arrived at the hotel at midnight and as requested we got a room almost on the top floor – 17th to be exact and there are 18 floors. Wow what a view of the whole beachfront a lovely big verandah to enjoy with fresh air to dry our clothes, very comfortable. I am stoked and grateful to be able to spend a few nights here. There are many islands off shore but as its ‘winter’ here the sea does not look blue and inviting but it’s warm
Pho Bo
at breakfast at the Novotel about 30 degrees but overcast. Makes it easier to get around if there was blue sky it would be much, much hotter.
There was a delicious spread for breakfast - I had sushi and pho bo (soup with beef) I love this delicate broth, noodles and fresh veggies that you put in it like lettuce and spring onions. I am not that hooked on the Vietnamese mint. We walked around went to the market it was all very pleasant. We were here 7 years before and it has changed so much. New hotels they are huge, enormous great big monsters going up all around us. Shopping centres too. The one we found next to our hotel on the way home yesterday had quite a few Russian people there and then I said hey Terry listen to the announcements they are in Russian! Don’t know if the complex is put up with Russian money but there are plenty of them around.
They are truly expecting a big tourism boom here. I mean why not? The people are great the cities are clean – people sweeping and cleaning up all the time. It’s quite strange that
Fast food
in the supermarket the public just throw things on the ground especially around the restaurants but there is always someone cleaning up.
This morning I was up early and looking down at the beachfront saw it was packed. People doing excercises, workers in their uniforms, old folk young folk and lots of people in the sea. So I put on my costume and went for a swim. It was terrific. The waves were very strong and the backwash too but I stuck next to the locals and made friends. Was told to dive under the waves so I followed suit. It was not very deep so not a dive but more a duck. The water is a lovely temperature warm but not hot like Thailand so still refreshing. Locals don’t believe me when I say I am from South Africa as I am not black. One of my new friends said she has a friend in Tanzania who wanted her to go there and visit but she was scared of AIDS! I said as long as you don’t have unprotected sex you will be ok!!! Let’s hope she changes her mind. Anyway it was a great way to start
Barbers shop
on our way to the Market the day. Perhaps I will meet my new friends there again tomorrow.
They are putting up a stage on the beach front here for New Year – obviously expecting a large crowd which I am sure they will get. They have just being doing a sound check and I am happy our hotel in Saigon is a little away from the hubbub if this is taste of what is coming here. It’s going to be loud man, very loud.
Now I want to go to some Cham ruins on the far side of town.
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