Brit Abroad; The final Chapter of 'Nam.

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So after Hoa's Place, I rode off into the sunset with Sarah (comrade and China Beach graduate) to Hoi An. This was just a stop over en-route to party-place Nha Trang. I loved the time up to this point in 'Nam but I was ready for a bit of shameless partying; something that Nha Trang promised to offer. With pop-chart hip-hop and cheese galore, this sea side town could basically have been anywhere. I only spent 2 nights there and although it was great fun, I don't think my liver needed any more.



We rocked up at 5 in the morning so crashed straight away. Really randomly, one of the other people in our room was from sunny Brighton and we both recognised each other from various house parties etc. The weather wasn't great so we took to the beach but with no bikini body to bear. I'm not gona lie, after my copious amounts of food in 'Nam, I was pretty relieved to be able to keep the ol' child-bearers covered up for a bit! The drinking that was to take place was not going to help either. Travelling with an Irish girl really did put me to shame. I hate to say it but the stereotype seemed true- anything I could drink she could drink more of. We drank, oh how we drank. Unlike Thailand and Laos that were cheap for beer but expensive for a lot of other poisons, everything was cheap in 'Nam so we took full advantage. We started the night in a bar with the simple but clever title of 'Why Not?' and why not indeed? After getting our fill there, we piled down to 'The Sailing Club' on the sea front and having been warned that the drinks were pricey, we took it upon our frugal selves to bring our own gin... We thought we were being economical but what we saved in wonga, we made up for in hangovers the next day.



'The Sailing Club' was right on the sea front so we couldn't resist a late night dip. Or so we tried... After getting just a little toe each in the ocean, a security guard from the club tried to look scary and assertive as he told us we weren't allowed to go in the sea. We frolicked a little but then realised that he was probably right so ventured back to the dance floor. One of the guys we were with seemed to miss this act of authority though and by the time we got back to our drinks, he had stripped down to his pants ready to join us in a dip. His friends did the obligatory thing of stealing his clothes which is still one of the most classic acts of humiliation.



The next day, there was a lot of pain. Sarah and I were hanging out our arses and I really think I heard my liver whimper for me to stop. The liver is a funny thing though and by that night, it seemed to have healed itself and thus, again the drinking ensued. I was being quite the Brit Abroad! We had formed another group and as some of the guys had only just joined, it would have been rude to have stayed sober... I am struggling of a way to depict Nha Trang in a way that does not imply it only has booze and dancing to offer. It does I'm sure but that was certainly all I got involved in. The second night consisted of the same venues and the next night we saw many of the same faces- some clearly better at handling a two-night bender than others. I once again drank too much- this time it was the Red Bull (and perhaps the rest). I'm not sure if the rumours of the ingredients of Asian Red Bull are true but it is definitely more lethal than the stuff we get at home. The shakes and the hangover from hell reigned supreme once more the next day and although I had a lot of fun there, I certainly felt ready to leave. Leaving Sarah was a hard goodbye- the problem with my trip being so long is that unless I meet up with people again en-route somewhere, it'll be a long time before I'm back home and able to make weekend visits etc.


So, after another night bus in, you've guessed it, Hell, I arrived at my starting point in Vietnam; the Lovely Saigon. I stayed at the same place of luxury and saw the Gorgeous family who made me feel welcome the first time. I was also forced to be polite again eating and drinking things given to me as gestures of kindness but felt like acts of tortures. I only spent a day and night here. Leaving Nam was horrible. I absolutely fell in love with the place and will definitely be back there whenever possible. I really felt at home there and although some felt the people were not as friendly as in Laos and Thailand, I disagree. I found them really honest and candid too which I really admired. I met up with the boys from Warrington and Lars here ready for the next adventure; Cambodia.

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