Sore bottoms, a rant and a Fruit Party!

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If I made anyone feel jealous by my casual namedropping of the South China Sea and my intention to go snorkelling today then you'll like this entry. It's for you.

The trip was run by the Amazing Snorkeling (sic) Company. Or the Amazingly Grumpy Snorkeling Company. A bus picked me up from the hotel at 8.30am, we went to the harbour and about 18 of us got on a boat to visit a few islands, snorkel, have lunch and a 'fruit party' (?!) before coming back about 3/4pm.

Our boat had an open sundeck wioth 5 wooden sunloungers on and a shaded downstairs with wooden slatted seats. Now I have noticed this a bit since I've been away - but today really took the prize for rude, grumpy, miserable, uncommunicative people. We spent a whole day together but no one spoke to each other and whenever I did smile and addressa remark to someone I got a blank look or a monosyllabic grunt. (THese were English speaking people). Apart from the lovely Singapore lady who offered me a job teachingh English in Malaysia, no one wanted to be nice. The younger people are the worst, arrogant, bored, disdainful. Reallly unpleasant to be honest.

It was an uncomfortable day. The sun here is so strong if I go out in it for more than 10 minutes I go lobster red - even with Factor 50 and so was consigned to the dingy depths of the boat sitting on wooden slatted seats with no backrest. For 6 hours. With horrible people. I now have a slatted bottom.

And the 'Fruit Party' - well we weren't gaily slathering each other in mango juice and eating strawberries from each other naked bodies. (Thank f**k) We sat miserably around eating pieces of pineapple. A fruit party is eating fruit.

I had chosen this trip because it wasn't a booze cruise with pounding dance music - 19 year olds and free drinks if you jump off the top of the boat or flash your breasts. To be honest, I do wonder if a bit of bosom baring might have been rather more fun.

To be honest, I've seen a lot of appalling behaviour on my travels so far. (Do I sound like my mother?) But I have! Australians and fat Russians beinmg so rude to the Vietnamese hawkers. All you have to do is smile and say no firmly and look away - but they say dreadful things to them, talk to them and order them about like dogs. Embarrassing. I hate it.

So feeling a bit unentranced tonight, but I suppose if I'm honest, I don't really like Nha Trang. It's a selfish place...so unlike the courtesy and warmth of Egypt and Jordan. Perhaps it's time for my love affair with the far East to end and a new one with the Middle East to start. Or maybe it's too hot, I've got sunburn and I'm tired of noodles.

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