Beach Bums and Surf

Beach Front Property
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It only seems fitting that it should rain on our last day in Nha Trang just as it did our first day here.   However, all the other days have been quite sunny and we  managed to not only get a little tan, but burnt as well. Although, I (Casey )will confess I burnt me Bum!!! Its quite a lovely feeling, to be crispy on your derrière, especially when sitting on it, but  I discovered that a few, or more, beers take away the sting.

Our theory is Nha Trang beach/city is to the Aussie's what Mexico is to the U.S. They come here for surf and sun. There are two places, Louisiane Brewhouse and the Sailing Club, located directly on the beach where for 20,000 dong ($1.25) one can rent a deck chair complete with a fringed hut and a cabana boy or girl to bring you cocktails and beer. Security guards watch the perimeter so you can swim at your leisure and no Its a horrible place, really! The beach is gorgeous-its reminds us of Halong Bay.

Once again we were trendsetters!

Lobster Anyone?
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We mainly hung out on the beach at Louisaine because they brew their own beer, which was quite tasty. And because two local women come to this particular spot with hot coals, chili sauce, and fresh seafood. For 100,000 dong ( ~$6) she will grill a big ass plate of lobster, crab, conch, and scallops. We may have been hesitant to try, but while in Hanoi we had several Aussies mention it to us, one couple ate it 3 times a day, so we felt confident that we wouldn't die of food poisoning. It was pretty damn good. And once again we were trendsetters! After we ordered from her, we had other people ask us about it and then wham! she had a full blown business going. (Steve and I have always been on the cutting edge of things).

This is What I get for Six bucks?
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At night we hung out at the Sailing Club, playing a little Gin, watching  the crowd, enjoying being lazy bums.  The sun goes down so early here, 5:30-6 pm. So as you are walking along the beach before dinner you can already see the locals in spaced silhouettes of twos, making out on the beach. Which makes sense in some part given that up to 4 generations of family live together in one house. The darkness and the beach give them some privacy.

We took a day trip by ourselves with a guide to Van Phoung Bay, which is Northeast of Nha Trang. It took about two hours by car and then about 30 minutes by boat. We saw nobody else except our guide and crew for the entire day. The bay was pristine and the water crystal clear. We snorkled for about two hours around some rocks and hard coral. Steve and the guide, Tham, saw a moray eel in addition to all the anemones, urchins, small eel, paint by number fish. It was my first time snorkeling and I fell in love with it, which is why my  bum fried, I didn't want to quit!  I also got a rushed by a fish while snorkeling. It wasn't a large fish by any means-- it was probably 6 inches long and bright pink with green stripes. It rushed me and bonked itself onto my mask. Then it starting nipping at my elbows. I decided nature was telling me to return to the boat, where Steve and the crew were waiting.

Von Phuong Bay
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Then we went by boat to another portion of the bay where it had a white sand beach and a couple of huts set up. We had lunch, squid cooked two ways, clay pot fish, sweet and sour fish soup, rice,  garlic morning  glory, and  beer. And then we chilled out for a bit and eventually went snorkeling around the rocks near the beach. We saw fish that were almost entirely clear to blend in with the white sand, shrimp burrowing into the sand, and purple fauna that would pull back into its tube when you swam by. It rocked!

Ancient History-Cham Towers
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We also visited the mudbaths and the ancient HIndi Cham Towers while here in Nha Trang. The Cham towers dated to the 7th century and was very similar to some of temple architecture you might find in parts of India. The locals still use the towers and temple to pray. The mudbaths probably go back that far as well, although the facilities have been updated since then. Their is a natural hot spring, so there are showers, cisterns, and a waterfall (manufactured) of hot mineral water. They also pump mud into cistern baths. You cover yourself in mud and soak for 45 minutes, and then climb out into the sun and wait for it ti dry and then wash it off. I found the mud very soothing for my sunburn and skin, but the heat of the mineral water was near unbearable, so I didn't really enjoy it as much I as I should have. Steve had a better time of it there, but even he said it was pretty hot. Other than that we have just been lazing around the beach and swimming in the surf. Its hard to believe we're about to leave and go to Saigon to go home. I could do another week in Vietnam easily, but I'm sure once the long trip home is over I'll be happy to be home too.