Nha Trang Hotels
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Nha Trang
Entry 17 of 40 | show all | print this entry |
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Hello all.
We left Hoi An at 11.40am yesterday (thurs) and headed by train to Nha Trang, about 10 hours further south. So far we have done Vinh, Danang, China beach (locally known as marble moutain), Hoi An and now Nha Trang. It is on the coast, is slightly more of a touristy place and has lots of seafront hotel, bars, restaurants etc....
THURSDAY
On thurs we had a day in the local markets, which we had not yet ventured to. They were much nicer than some of the others we've been to, and we only once got the dreaded 'market smell'. Which we have decided smell likes rotting meat, fish and death. There really is no adequate way to describe 'market', only that if you smell it you DO actually start retching and if you already feel a bit delicate, it is best avoided altogether or you will definately be sick. It's foul! Despite this, we actually managed to spend about 3 hours in the market, buying little trinkety things and jewellery and stuff. It was total 'market fever'! We had to leave for fear of buying everything.
I bought a piar of sunglasses from some dude in the market and bartered him down to 70 dang. Despite this, I actually him 600 dang by mistake (!!!!) and left happily thinking I'd got a bargain. We went for some lunch in a little cafe and about 2 hours later I was just sitting there chatting, when it hit me all at once. I said to the girls- oh my god I just paid about 30 quid for my sunglasses! We all went back to have it out with the guy and beg for my money back, and we approached a woman on the stall pretty much just handed it over. Which was a relief. What an idiot!
FRIDAY
We got a taxi to the train station at sparrow fart, with a little bit of breakfast inside us. (We also made some cheese baguettes on the sly in the hotel's restaurant and slipped them in to our bags for the journey.) Lizzi and Gill decided they would rather be in the seated carriage, which is just like a great north western kind of train, with reclining seats. Donna and I were still quite sleepy and so opted for an aircon sleeping carriage, and prayed that the other two beds in the carriage would remain empty.
Some local in the train station had removed all our bags from our taxi, and piled them on some trolly and then helped us all on to our respective areas on the train. He then came back to our carriage and demanded 50 dang (which is about 2 quid, quite a lot for them!). We laughed, obviously. I asked one of the locals if he had paid, behind the other local-train-man's back. He silently shook his head at me. We ended up giving him 10 dang and told him to do one. It gets quite tiring, how the locals imagine you are rich and are constantly finding ways to swindle you. They see white skin and automatically associate it with money. If you ask how much anything is, they double it and you have to haggle down to the realistic price. Even the lady behind the counter in the train station swindled us for more than what our train fare actually was. You can't really argue, because a lot of time you're not sure it's happened and then you find out afterwards. It is understandable, 2 pounds is a lot to them in comparison to us. But to get ripped off by nearly every person you buy from, every day, soon adds up and makes you disheartened about them.
Anyway........
Donna and I settled in our train carriage, and made our beds with the sheets, pillows and duvets provided and got in our sleeping bags. We made some nice little sleeping nests and snacked on supplies of - chips ahoy (cookies), haribo bat wings, coke, orio's, skittles and the pre-made cheese baguettes. We had one room mate, on the top bunk (we were both on the bottom bunks). He was a local man, about 40 odd. He was very quiet and didn't really speak english - with the exception of hi and bye. We got given food (like Virgin!!!) although this was an assortment of rice (!!!!), some wierd thin soup with leaves in it, pork and green beans (I got 1 piece of pork) and some beef in juice (?). I was so starving by the second food hand out, that I attempted the rice, with a bit of the beef juice and it wasn't that bad. Well, it was better than starving.
Donna and I LOVED our carriage, the roommate man only stayed in our room for approximately 20 minutes and then he spent the rest of the time standing in the corridor. We just shut the door so we wouldn't feel bad looking at him. We think we probably made him feel uncomfortable, sleeping in a room with 2 young western girls isn't the norm for a local, middle class man. He probably thought it wasn't appropriate. Good!
There are 4 types of class on the train: hard seat, soft seat, hard sleeper and soft sleeper with aircon. Most of the locals cant afford to pay $13 for the soft seats, let alone the $20 dollar price for nicest aircon beds, so it is mainly westeners and rich locals in the soft sleepers. Which is a blessing, because there is something about these Asian people and transport that we have been noticing. They are lovely and chatty and friendly in 'normal' day to day life, but get them on public transport and they morph in to ear-cringingly-loud, screeching, back-of-the-throat-greeny-making gypos. Their public transport tone of voice is most comparible to the 'Knights that like to say NI', from Monty Python. A back of the throat, gutteral, hawking screech that literally burns westeners ears and makes you want to set the locals on fire..........actually, that might just be me and possibly Donna, or might be more. Anyway, I HATE them on any public transport.
We thought we would get bored for 10 hours on the train, but we loved it! It felt like about 4 hours, it just went dead quick. We had chats, read our books, listened to ipods and took photos of me wearing all the new shoes I've bought, one by one, and picked our favourites.
We arrived in Nah Trang at about 10.30pm, a bit later than expected. Lizzi and Gill had read up on the town and picked us a place to stay, called Blue Star. A guest house on the corner of a street facing the sea. We sorted our rooms out (mine and Gill's is the best coz it's bigger and has a double bed, altough Lizzi and Donna have leopard print duvets, so really it's a tie) and headed up the road for a snack before bed. We found a little place about 3 doors up called Shorty's place, run by an English guy. I had a jacket potato with cheese and beans! As you are all at home, eating whatever you like, day in, day out, you will not understand how much pleasure a jacket potato can actually create.
Pete and Victor, our trekking friends, were already in Nah Trang and booked us on a booze cruise for the following day (Fri), so we thought we better have an early night in preparation, as we were meant to be meeting at 7.30am!!! When we went to bed and flicked on the tv and..... Kylie was being interviewed by Cat Deeley!! Result!
We met up with Victor and Pete, and their new Norwiegan friend Einar (who we just call Michael coz it's easier) at sparrow fart, again and sent some local out to find us some alcohol for the trip. Malibu, of course. The bus that picked us up kept stopping at different hotels and picking up more and more randomers: French, Korean, Australian, Austrian, Amercians. A very mixed bunch. We decided, oh dear, we're probably going to ruin everyone's day. As it transpired- we MADE everyone's day!
We set off in some rickety old, blue wooden thing that did resemble a boat, at about 9.30am. We were heading for a few islands, where you could jump off, swim, sunbathe, etc. At the first stop, we all just went to the top deck (sounds posh.... it wasn't) and started drinking. It was baking hot, and it all seemed like a good idea at the time, as these things do. We also told the 'head girl' crewing the boat that it was Gill's birthday (a lie) and she said she would have a suprise for her later! Hurrah!
We got to the next destination, and after about 3 or 4 drinks, we all thought it a good idea to jump off the boat. So Lizzi, Gill and I all held hands and leapt off the top together. Donna was more cautious, and kind of half slipped/ half dangled herself from the bottom level into the water.
They threw us all rings and we just floated about in the sea. There was a 'floating bar' (a man in a floating ring, with a board attached, pouring out SHIT red wine into little, dirty, plastic glasses). We had several glasses of shit wine each. I then decided it would be a good idea to dive off the edge of the boat, so Lizzi joined me and jumped along side me. As we were quite merry, we thought that maybe we should do that again - but from the top level of the boat. So I dived from the top (a good one by all accounts) and Lizzi jumped along side me.
We got back on, headed somewhere else and had a banquet lunch of rice, noodles and foriegn looking meats. I was feeling quite pissed by this time and decided that maybe it would be best if I avoided anything that could possibly be suspect, and just have some 'safe' bread. After a huge lunch spread, the staff laid all the seats flat in the centre of the boat and set up a 'band' with home-made kitchen utensil instruments. Very Blue Peter! They played loads of songs and asked where everywhere was from. For every country, the played a different song. They asked where we were from and we said ENGLAND! So they played a very rocky version of Yellow Submarine and dragged me up on 'stage'. I dragged Lizzi with me and eventually Donna joined us too! Then it all let loose and everyone was on up the stage dancing to their rendition of the Lambada! and the Twist!
After the dancing, the lady pulled Gill on stage and made everyone sign Happy Birthday to her! Which was the highlight, she even got a free can of fake Stella!
The quick consumption of alcohol, the heat and the diving were unexpectedly NOT a good combination, and I had to be sick. Several times. After that was all over, we stopped at some beach. The girls did jet skiiing, but compained that they were very slow. Pete was quite curious (George) about para-gliding and asked if I would join him. So we went up for a quick fly around, which was nice.
After the beach, the boat took us inland to an aquarium (foreign sea-life centre) in the shape of a pirate ship! It housed stone fish (one of the most poisenous fish in the world), turtles, sharks, little tropical fish, moray eels and other big stuff. The turtles and eels were most impressive, except for the dead turtle in the corner, which had turned yellow. The walkways on the aquarium were dotted with big sea-creatues with open mouths that you walk through etc, I managed to climb one particular lobster and get a photo (for you Jo).
After the fish, we just headed back inland and went back to our hotel. The lads joined us for some tea and a game of pool. Everyone else went for a big night out on the razz that night, but as I'd been quite dodgily pissed on the boat and a bit sunburnt, I thought it best to get an early night. It transpires that I missed a good one by all accounts.
We are heading off to the 'southern captal' Saigon or Ho Chi min city (as it is now known) very soon and will be spending about 3-4 days there doing "CULTURE". We're visiting the war memorial museums and the underground war tunnels and then heading off to Cambodia - possibly by bus!
Will update soon - take care all xxxxxx
Jo: From the top of the aquarium, you could sea a spot of beach to the left, which, all along the sand, had large animals, such as deer, crabs, dogs etc. I was most disappointed to have to leave for the boat as I could have filled my whole quota for Jo of 'fake animal riding' in one go. Unfortunately, I will have to carry on and find animals where I can.
Latest Comments (2)
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hey (reply)
Oct 27, 2006 07:43 EST by danilovescats
Love you too! Where is my big long email??? eh? How is the new man?
Hope the shoes are ok, got brown as goes with everything. Off to an orphanage now, with the lads.
Speak soon.
Love you loads
xxxxxxxxxxxxx
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In reply to:
Well chicken - I WAS going to tell you off for buying so many shoes until I s... show all
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So many shoes! (reply)
Oct 23, 2006 11:51 EST by krafferty
Well chicken - I WAS going to tell you off for buying so many shoes until I saw the pic with 'shoes for fish face' so I will eat my own words! THANKS and well done you! (I am very easily bought, as well you know!)
Wicked pics - I especially like you flying though you are more Tinkerbell than Peter Pan! Sounds like you've had a wicked couple of days, with a decent train journey, a nice h... show all
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