Chuc Mung Nam Moi: Nha Trang & Hoi An

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We arrived in Nha Trang, a small beach town, after a horrific overnight bus journey (transport was all booked up because of Tet so we couldnt get a proper sleeper bus). It was worth the journey though, as it was a great place to relax. We spent the first day chilling out on the beach; the waves in Nha Trang are crazy, knocking people off their feet, but it made for some fun swimming. A few of us also went to some mud baths and mineral springs, which was a pretty luxurious way to spend the afternoon.

Tet took place whilst we were in Nha Trang, so after dinner and drinks we headed down to the beach with a few beers to join the local celebrations. You couldn't see sand for people; friends and families gathered around, eating and drinking, there was a great buzz of excitement in the air. At midnight a huge fireworks display was let off from a couple of boats. It was more chaotic than firework displays you see in the UK, but that made it all the better i think.

On the second afternoon a few of us walked to the Pagoda and up the 150 steps to the giant Buddha. It was a pretty spectacular building and the smell of incense filled the air as people put sticks infront of the Buddha and prayed. We decided to walk to a nearby tower afterwards, but somehow managed to get lost and ended up down the winding backstreets of Nha Trang. In hindsight it was a good idea to get lost, as it felt like we got to see a bit more of the real town. People will still celebrating Tet and rushed out of their houses to ask where we were from, wanting to know our names and where we were trying to get to!

After a couple of days in Nha Trang we boarded another night bus, this one with the added bonus of dodgy techno music blasting through the speakers. We arrived in the early hours of the morning in Hoi An...which i think is one of my favourite places so far. It's a a small town, with the river running through it and a beach nearby. The narrow streets have lanterns streamed across them and although there are still motorbikes weaving around, the roads are much quieter and it's a peaceful place. We hired bikes and cycled down to the beach and out into the countryside, between paddy fields and down sandy lanes. Cycling round really gives you a chance to see a place and Hoi An is beautiful and is so colourful too. We also got the chance to ride a buffalo through the water on one of the farms we cycled passed. Me and Angela decided to go on together and there were a few sketchy moments when i thought she was going to slide off the back of it...but we all managed not to fall off!

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