Days 34-35 NHA TRANG, VIETNAM “How many Russians can you fit on a beach?”We arrived in N

Days 34-35 NHA TRANG, VIETNAM “How many Russians can you fit on a beach?”We arrived in Nha Trang very early in the morning. After selling the comforts of sleeping in the rear seats to my new friends, from my experience doing so on the bus from Hanoi to Phong Nha we had a relatively good journey intimately squeezed in together like a happy family. The bus was a step down, comfort-wise, from the previous sleeper bus however, and comfort breaks involved stopping on the road side to do the business, rather than a restroom. At this point in my journey, having experienced more of the rough and tumble of travelling in India I was feeling a little too comfortable with life in Vietnam. The country had been much more developed than I was expecting and I was starting to wonder if I was ever going to get a more authentic experience. What sort of true backpacker has comfortable accommodation and comfortable means of transport and uses taxis? I couldn’t be doing that. Although I was now in a group I was resolute that I would walk the distance to the hostel from the bus stop. I was in need of a good walk. I was joined by Sabrina and Rochelle as we walked the half hour or so, laden with our backpacks, to the hostel.Once checked in we had a fairly long snooze before venturing out for lunch at a restaurant which was hardly authentic or local, but convenient. While looking around it quickly became apparent how many Russians had seemingly colonised the region, and therefore the sort of high end market these restaurants were targeting. At some point the group informed me that they intended to travel the next day to Dalat. I decided however I would stay put as I was a bit weary from the rapid pace of travel. I had always had in mind a desire to travel slowly and ponderously during my travels. What’s more the Lonely Planet had described this place as the beach capital of Vietnam.While Nha Trang certainly had a long stretch of beach and many developed resorts on the beachfront I didn’t find the beach better than the one in Hoi An, albeit that it was far longer. I swam in the sea with Verena after lunch and we both agreed that the current was a little too passive, and the beach a little too resort-like and not backpacker-ish (The question, ‘how many wealthy Russians can you fit on a beach?’ was not out of place).In the evening after a stroll Rochelle, Sabrina and I went for dinner at a restaurant catering to locals (at last!) which had an open mic karaoke. I must say the standard was pretty high, even though we didn’t know any of the songs. We had fun translating the menu into English, with some rather odd ingredients coming up. To be sure, there was a separate part of the menu in English, but they were exactly the same dishes but more expensive! If you are willing to translate the menu you can get the food cheaper it seems.With the group departing early the next day I remained in Nha Trang, checking out at the same time to a cheaper backpacker place (we had shared a room at a mid-market guesthouse for our first night). I managed to get breakfast of a baguette and Vietnamese coffee for a mere 15,000 dong (40p). After debating with myself whether to cross over to the neighbouring Cham Islands (pretty islands but not essential viewing I understand) I decided to stay put and take it easy, hiring a bicycle and exploring the area.I firstly went to a temple, of Hindu influence (Po Nagar Cham Towers), used as a place of worship by the Cham people. It is decorated with suggestive rather than actual phallic representations. You can see what I mean from my photographs. Worshippers here engage in linga worship, which is the respectable name I suppose for veneration of the phallus.I continued my cycle ride after this, eventually settling on the beach with my own deckchair for only 35,000 dong (£1). With cold drink in hand from the local convenience store, I couldn’t be happier, taking in the sun.As the shadow of evening fell I made my way back to the hostel where I got chatting to two guys in my dorm. After being offered weed by one of the chaps (naturally refusing), I let them know my intention to eat at KFC. I needed Western food. Amusingly this also hit a chord with the guys. So this band of brothers went hunger-led to KFC, sating our appetites with chicken goodness.While initially keen to maybe get some late night drinking action, weariness eventually won over, and funnily enough we all went to bed together (ie at the same time, not literally).Tomorrow I would head early in the morning to Dalat, the cool getaway from the sultry heat.Thus endeth the chapter of Nha Trang. -- source link

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