Nha Trang

New Years Eve 2008
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We had a slight altercation with a cabby leaving Hanoi as he tried to bump the price up, we had him stop and pulled all our luggage out in the middle of the road and we stomped off leaving him looking a little confused and p****d off. After that the flight to Nha Trang is straightforward and Viet Airlines win the prize for most grim on board meal, a piece of rock hard cake and small plastic cup of water.... Mmmmmm.

Nha Trang is a stunning place, a really golden beach backed by palms with huge rollers crashing in off the South China Sea, it's much much warmer than Hanoi and the whole town has a really good feel to it. Along the beach we find a micro brewery that sells some passable beers as well so New Years is starting to look good! Much of the beach is lined with bars, nice ones too including the fantsatic sailing club and Louisianna brewing co.

Happy New Year!!
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Rooms here are ten a penny and so the standard for a ten quid room is really very good, we end up on a 10th floor overlooking the sea and city where we can enjoy the lights from our balcony.  Only in Vietnam could you get a couple of city centre multi storey hotels that wink knowingly at each other from the 15th floor or so with 3 metre high neons proudly proclaiming the "Phuc Qu" and the "Phuc Qu 2" hotels, I giggle myself to sleep imagining the apoplexy following my planning application for those hitting the desk at the city council.

Lets Party!!!!!
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The sea food In Nha Trang has to be seen to be believed on every street corner and every 100 meters or so along the beach people set up temporary kitchens with a barbeque grill and some boiling water and they have buckets of huge shrimp and lobster. You pick what you want and they cook it how you want right there.

There's a pretty huge cable car here that takes you to a kind of Viet disney called Vinpearl Island.  We brave one way only as we chicken out and take a speed boat for the return journey.  The fact is there was quite a wind and the bloody car was swinging about like nobodies business and you couldn't help imagining plunging into the ocean, pretty soon there was as much wind in the car as out!  Vin pearl isn't really worth the effort either why come all the way to Vietnam to see that kind of crap when we have so much of it at home.

The morning after
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Like fools we then book a snorkeling trip to a couple of islands there's still a pretty strong wind once you're out of the protrection of the bay and pretty soon our little boat is heaving over mountainous seas and Kim has all of the life preservers in a vice like grip.  When we get to the dive stop Kim decides (sensibly) to give it a miss but I get dry suited up.  Looking like a somewhat over stuffed spring roll I flap to the back of the boat and plunge in.  The water is wonderfully warm but because of the swell you can't see a bloody thing!!.

Boxing Day dinner before setting off South
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Best bit about the trip is meeting a couple from Hong Kong and Singapore (Keiko and Ling)and Heddy and Will from Austria who we meet up with for New Years Eve.

After some early drinks at Crazy Kims bar we head to the Sailing Club to see in 2008 and it's a very spectacular setting.  The club opens out onto the beach and they've put a stage across the beach just in front of the water line. There are some great acts laid on. Dragon and fire dancers etc then the whole area is used for general cavorting. A bunch of girls with Angel wings attached (honest, I saw them before I had a drop) in unangelically short dresses  dancing on the stage as huge waves crashed onto the golden beach behind them will be an abiding memory of the evening as will Keiko buying the first round - a BOTTLE!! of absolute Vodka and telling me I can get the next one!!  I said if there's a next one I'll see 2008 in in hospital. Instead we get some Champagne at midnite and we have a really great evening.

Nha Trang Beach Sun at last!!
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2008 dawns warm and sunny (sorry) and we walk down the beach (sorry) to blow the hangovers away and before we knew what we were doing we end up at the Louisianne brewery having the odd hair of the dog or 4.  It's a bit like new years day in the Harvest Home pub in Denmead only with sun, (sorry) sand, (sorry) a swimming pool (sorry) beer at 50p a pint (sorry) and fresh lobster at a pound a go, 2008 is turning out to be a real bitch. We end the afternoon at the beachfront cocktail bar and are soon feeling no pain whatsoever watching huge green rollers crashing in plumes of surf onto the beach, unforgettable, just unforgettable.

Sun's out...Shades on
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We go to a bar here (Crazy Kims)which has a happy hour where you buy one get one free.  A 600ml beer costs 16000 Dong (32,500 dong to the pound) Now, a 1ltr bottle of water from our mini bar costs 17000 dong which means.......beer is cheaper than water!!!This would be a wonderful state of affairs were it not for the fact that it is still the  cissy girly stuff that passes for beer in the former colonies and much of Europe.

Open letter toThe Head of Southern Water

Sir

I fear you are a bounder. I am currently undertaking a grand tour.  When I left England, much of the Country laid under threat of "an hosepipe ban" wherein a chap need only sprinkle his Roses to risk a spell in goal or punitive fine.  This despite a cove hardly having time to pad up and face a couple of bouncers at the members end between bouts of precipitation.

I currently find myself in Vietnam where I find that, beer is cheaper than water!! I say again, cheaper than water sir. 

I look forward to a full explanation of this paradox without delay.

I remain sir your obedient etc

Col Blandford Fly