Nha Trang, Viet Nam is located on the shores of the country's curving midsection. The coastline stretches 1800 miles. Nha Trang has become a destination for international tourists with pristine beaches and excellent scuba diving. It used to be a sleepy fishing village but recent government and private investments have changed it into a thriving beach-side resort town.
We had no idea what to expect when we arrived in the port of Nha Trang. We were up and ready to go by 8:15. There were the usual vendors set up on the pier, so we browsed a bit, then went out of the port area to grab a cab. We first visited an interesting temple. Our driver spoke English when we got in the cab but was really only able to say "Yes, I speak English!". We'll do better at interviewing next time. So we didn't get much information about the temple from our "guide". Next stop was a large white Buddha. It was built in memory of the monks who burnt themselves in protest of the Viet Nam war. A nice man attached himself to us when we first arrived. He kept saying he had the keys to something. He would lead us to the best places for pictures, then take pictures of us. There were 150 steps up to see the Buddha. At about 1/2 way, we went to a terrace off to the side where there was a large bell. The clapper was a thick log that hung from a chain. When released, it hit the bell. The key was to the lock that held it in place. Our guide was the bell ringer! We continued up the hill to the Buddha. It was big. There was a temple inside. I didn't feel like taking my shoes off to go inside. I could see well enough from the door. Our bell ringer took his shoes off, took my camera inside and took pictures for me. It was quite amusing. When we got back down to our taxi, he asked for money, we gave him $2. Seems like the best deal of the day.
Next stop was the market. It was really hot, so even hotter running around a market set up in the middle of a street. I bought something in one of the first stores we went into. A woman from that store proceeded to lead us around the market, asking us what we wanted to buy and would then take us to the proper shop or booth. She was with us for at least 1/2 hour. She didn't request money. We returned to the port, shopped at the pier for a while, then returned to the ship for lunch and to change into our swim suits.
A local hotel, or the local tour department or someone had supplied shuttle buses to a nice hotel in town. We got on that and immediately crossed the street (taking our lives into our own hands with how the dozens of scooters zipped in and out, not stopping for anyone or anything!) to the beach. The beach was very clean, the water OK. There were a few things floating around like plastic bags, but not too bad. It felt heavenly after our very hot morning. The waves were large enough to ride a bit. I started with my mask and snorkel to save my eyes from the salt. Then I got water in my eyes anyway and discovered that the salt really didn't bother me. Wonder if the South China Sea has less salt than the Pacific? I couldn't see for a few minutes if I got salt water in my eyes while in the Galapagos Islands, off the coast of Ecuador. But it made it much better. I was diving into the waves and having a great time. Now we've been swimming in the South China Sea. That's cool!
We were back at the pier by 3:30. We had to be on the ship by 4:30, so shopped the market there again. While I shopped, Mel was talking to different people. He ran into the Capt who said we should have been staying the night in Nha Trang, it was such a nice port. He's right, it was delightful. I would definitely return to Viet Nam if given the opportunity. Very glad to have a sea day tomorrow. It'll give me time to rest up before 2 port days to come.
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