DAYS 11 - 12 NHA TRANG

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Left Quy Nhon for a short bus ride out of town for 70 kms of riding till lunch. The weather was equally as bad or worse than yesterday but off we merrily went until we had to change to an inland diversion as the planned costal route was seriously flooded. After lunch we had a final 20 km sprint on a good road with a heavy across the shoulder tail wind & some really good times made.

While it was as relief to get out of the rain once riding had finished we only had limited dry clothes to change into for the 3.5 hr drive to our two night stay in Nha Trang. The trip notes described the drive as cliff hugging views overlooking a deep blue sea but the bleak scene from the bus was disappointing although easy to imagine on a bright day. The bay was scattered with fishing boats moored to floating cages & basic housing for lobster farming.

On arrival in Nha Trang the place has more neon lighting than Las Vegas with massive resort & hotel development, especially by the Russians, and could have been any western city. Ok for a few days with the opportunity to sample western food again but with an atmosphere so unlike Vietnam.

Day 2 was a relaxing day off from cycling in preparation for a tough day tomorrow. Spent much of the day cruising around the islands & snorkeling for those inclined. A clearing sky & no rain was a relief.

A BBQ seafood lunch was planned with a small island fishing community by transferring to a small round wicker basket and paddling to shore but the recent typhoon has caused significant damage to the area & the landing has been completely washed away. An onboard lunch had to suffice.

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