Back in the Sun

Trip Start Nov 17, 2007
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Trip End Feb 28, 2008


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Flag of Vietnam  ,
Monday, February 11, 2008

It's good to feel the sun on my face again, even if it's not exactly back the balmy temperatures of the sub-tropics yet. Vietnam's North and South have entirely different climates with the North getting the standard four seasons, the south just the rainy and hot. Nga Trang is a pretty cool beach town with a few islands to hop about on and some hot mud springs and probably the cheapest place in Asia to get your Padi dive, if you're looking for somewhere to do that.

My new travelling companion from the bus is Brittany, another from Canada (they seem to be everywhere in this part of the world...I hope the last Canadian to leave there for the winter turned out the lights). We arrive after the overnight bus a little tired and discover most of the town is full because of the Tet new year - this is THE place for Vietnamese and Chinese to holiday and we should have booked ahead. It takes a while, but arriving so early because of the overnight bus we are fortunate to eventually secure a pad, and head for the beach - though the surf is heavy and the sand is coarse and the entire time we're there we're pestered by locals who want us to pose with their children in photos. Some are downright rude about the whole thing. It's the first time I've come across it but Brittany, who worked a month at an orphanage in Cambodia before spending a week in Vietnam says it's been a common theme throughout her time in this part of the world. At night we dine and down a bottle of weapons grade medicinal compound from the Dalat region beautifully called Romantic Red Wine - get it for the kitch name, but not the taste I assure you!

We sign up for one of the many day trips out to the islands, and the next day we head out on "Boat Trip No. 4." The day packs in a lot and is really recommended, especially if you use this company to do it - others I spoke to had not nearly so much. As well as visiting 4 of the islands, there's some pretty neat snorkeling despite the cold ocean (though bring your own if you can as the ones provided are cheapies) and after lunch you can dive into the water and swim out to their floating bar, and drink as much of that same wine as you can stammer before the cold (or the burning in your throat) get too much.

In the evening the crew increases to five and we all head to the hot mud baths for a good ol' body pack down. This place is just outside town and you'll need a taxi to get there but was plenty of fun; after 15 minutes soaking in the mud it ends with a good 45 minutes in a hot bath. For dinner we head to one of the seafood street stalls near the beach for some damned delicious saltwater crayfish at a dirt-cheap $12 a kilogram, before finishing up at one of the local bars.
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