Nha Trang

Nha Trang proved to be another great place, an adventure right from the start. The sleeper bus dropped us at some random hotel at 630am. At $8 a night and it being only 2 - 3 minutes from the beach we decided to take a peek. It was okay but it was clear to see that the beach was quite a distance away ... 2 - 3 minutes via motorbike, perhaps.

We weren't even steps away from the hotel before some guy was pushing a pamphlet at us for the 'Nice Hotel'. The price was right and he claimed to be right on the beach. It was a free ride down if we were willing to take a look. With two of us and only one of him we asked about another bike. He took mom's pack and mine and piled them on top of each other, his chin resting on the top to hold it all on. Mom hopped on the bike first and then I after that. I put my feet on top of hers and held on tight.

The main entrance of the hotel was located in a tiny lane that we were about to turn into. The driver didn't seem to be aware of the pedestrians crossing the way. He ran over a girl's toe and almost lost his two passengers as well as their bags. He asked us to get off to walk the few meters to the door.

Upon seeing this airy seventh floor room with a gorgeous view of the sea, there wasn't really any question as to whether we'd take it or not. It wasn't on the beach, but no hotels were. The waves could be heard throughout the night which was an added bonus.

Nha Trang is known for diving. November, unfortunately, is off season. It did make for diving that was too cheap to pass up. It was nice to get out and experience the feeling of being under the sea. A bit chilly and littered, it still turned out to be a great experience.

We kept hearing horror stories of our next stop. Mom opted to turn around and go back and then pay to change our flights. I opted to trek on, not having come to go back. I talked Mom into it, assuring her it would be fine. With the bus tickets bought, we spent our last day on a pool deck basking in the sun.

We were scheduled to leave at 7pm that night. While mom rested, I went out to find some garbage bags. There was a good possibility that the next stop was going to be under a few meters of water. We bagged our things and prepared for the worst.

We brought a small amount of food and a small amount of water as the bus didn't have a bathroom ... that brings a whole other funny story to mind which may follow this post.

For now, I'll stop here ... on the 12 hour bus ride to Hoi An. I am thankful for making it in one piece ... the small road that must be considered a highway was anything but that. Windy, steep, potholed and broken ... it wasn't a place for a big touristy type bus to be traveling.