beach blanket baby


Being on the side of the road seems to be a regular occurrence with the modes of transportation here. Fortunately it wasn’t serious and we were back on the road within an hour. You can see my busdriver was not amused that I took his photo.

After 11 not so delightful hours on a crowded bus, I arrived after 7 pm in the beach town of Nha Trang. I am not looking forward to the two remaining long trips I have to make to reach Hanoi. I went with the cheapest option and booked an open bus ticket from Ho Chi Minh to Hanoi (roughly 1714 km) for only $14US.

Anyway, the bus driver scared the living daylights out of me. He was driving at speeds I didn’t think were possible. Then every thirty seconds or so he would sound his horn to warn others (I presume)to get the heck out of the way. Everyone was looking at one other in absolute horror. At times I thought this was it. Sleeping wasn’t possible so I just read and prayed for the best. This is what you get with cheap options–increased probability of sudden death or injury. Other people might call it adventure.

Marcel,the Aussie I met on my Mekong trip, took the bus with me for half the journey as he was going to another beach. Having some company on this eventful ride was welcomed. So if I were to die alone at least someone would hear my screaming.

Still reeling from my brush with death, I spent the best part of today at the beach. Nha Trang has one of the most famous beaches in Vietnam. Like most popular beaches you can drink, eat and get massaged. I drank at the beach, wrote in my journal and did lots of people watching. Unlike in Thailand, I wasn’t hassled every two minutes or so to buy something. I met an Aussie girl last night and she said this area is the most touristic of the places she had been in Vietnam. I can’t agree because I feel much more comfortable here. In Ho Chi Minh, I didn’t feel 100 percent secure, especially when I was walking around Saigon River.

After the beach, I went to the Long Thanh art gallery. Actually that was the reason I came here. I wanted to see Long Thanh’s stunning black and white photography. I knew the man’s work but I didn’t know he had a gallery here until I opened up the Lonely Planet‘s guide. I wanted to meet him but he was developing film in the dark room. His wife told me I can email if I would like to talk to him or come by again.

I’ve decided to extend my time here in Vietnam. That’s if I can ever get Cathay Pacific on the damn phone. I’ve been trying to reach them but the line is always engaged. I’m still working out how to get my Indian VISA. There’s an office in Hanoi but the problem is that here in Vietnam, the hotels and guesthouses always keep your passports for police checks. I’m sure it will work itself out in the end. I won’t worry about it until I get to Hanoi.

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