The Trang

From the last time I posted we had two cracking nights in Nha Trang. That place could be like an international Byron Bay if the weather was perfect. It has a couple of really good nightspots coupled with a great beach setting and everthing else you could want (only incredibly cheap). Unfortunately it did not really clear up while we were there but on Saturday night Sutts and I, along with a couple of Swedish girls and some Danish boys really took it to the Trang. Couple of quiet ones in Guava bar were followed by a few not so quiet buckets at the Sailing Club. This is the first club we have seen that somewhat replicates something back home. Think of the Beach Hotel with much louder music open till 3am. We finished up at Why Not Bar and after taking over the song selection (they were running a playlist from a computer in the corner) finally stumbled the 200 metres back to our perfectly located hotel (which comes highly recommended).

Again the next day wasnt the best in terms of weather, so after a 4 dollar shave and massage we geared up once again. Ran into Scott (a Melbourne High boy) and Sam (from Hull) at the local Bia Hoi place (again highly recommended) and had a good chat over the 40c fresh beers. Tried Crazy Kim's but nothing was going on so back down to the sailing club with two girls we had met from Holland (Utrecht actually K-banger). Another top night on the buckets (made with some ridiculously potent local spirit)that somehow all four of us have very little recollection of. The one thing that we did share on our independent ways home was a very persistant pickpocket. A young girl who did not take no for an answer collected a phone from Sam 50,000 dong from Scott and a pack of playing cards from Ben (if only she had reached into the other pocket she would be 700,000dong better off). I was on my own trying to find the Hotel when given a very warm hello followed immediately by hands around my waist. Four young Vietnamese men were paying close attention to my reaction and after hearing a story of another guy who had pushed the girl over only to be set upon by her watching custodians I simply accelerated and luckily was only a short distance from the Hotel. Nevertheless the next morning I only had a sketchy recollection of the incident and after looking for the digi in my pockets and on the bed, was sure that it had been taken. Sutts was already pissed at me for breaking the screen on NYE, so luckily in a final search of the romm before checkout it turned up under his bed.

Two cracking nights in Nha Trang, arrival in Saigon

We took a soft sleeper on the train from Nha Trang to Saigon (with Sam and the two from Mt. Scopus we had spent a bit of time with) arriving at 4am. Even in Ho Chi Minh you can't get a bed that early so we wasted time in the park on Pham Ngu Lao before finally finding a room on Mini Hotel Alley. IMO, Ho Chi is favoured over Hanoi, if it is possible for one to be better? There is crazy traffic but the city is better set out and much easier to negotiate. Lot's to see and a much bigger area to explore and observe all kinds of street life.

We did the markets on Tuesday where I found some really cool cheap shit. There is a market almost solely devoted to war relics/clothing/samples ect. with flak jackets, dog tags, bomber jackets, canvas belts and anything else you could think of. People are always keen for a haggle and we got some good prices.

Yesterday we did the Cu Chi tunnels and Cao Dai temple day trip. I found Cu Chi really interesting and it hightened my interest to learn more about the war, so today we went to the War museum in town. Well put together with some harrowing stories, it is something you should really do if in Ho Chi Minh.

Out again tonight after having a couple of soft ones, but have to be up for a trip to the Mekong Delta tomorrow before flying to Phu Quoc Island on saturday which should be really good (tho maybe no internet).

Spk soon...........