Nha Trang, the beach city

Tuesday, August 2, 2011

Scott and I woke up at 6 am to grab breakfast before leaving. We decided to eat at the resort because there was no other option, but it was going to be a bit expensive. We went to the restaurant, and we were one of two guests awake. We sat down to order, and the same waitress from the first night came up to us: Ana Mandara provides a free breakfast buffet every morning. She had been looking for us the previous morning. They brought us to another room, and a feast was laid before our very eyes! There was Western and Eastern food. They had freshly-made jam, croissants, fruit, an omelet station, Vietnamese soups, freshly squeezed juices, and many more. We couldn’t believe that we had missed this the morning before. We learned another lesson that day: always double-check the amenities of your hotel. Scott and I had the most delicious and rushed breakfast, and I was lamenting the fact that we didn’t know this yesterday.

Scott and I had booked a bus through Sinh Tourist to Nha Trang, so a van packed with 8 tourists came to pick us up. Scott and I were squished in the front. Scott and I have coined another term, “transition days.” These are the days that we have to move to another city and involves traveling. They are usually the most stressful. Well, we were on a transition day, and I was paranoid about missing the bus and must have asked the van driver 10 times if we were going to be late (because we kinda were!). The major difference between Scott and me is that I always worry, and he never seems to. This means that I like to a be a bit militant about our packing, eating breakfast, and leaving on time. Each time, he tells me not to worry. We finally arrived at the bus station and were one of the last guests to board. Bus stations oftentimes involve a lot of scrambling for us: I am always running to someone I think is dressed in uniform and frantically asking, “Is this the right bus?” “Can you call a taxi for us?” “Please make sure our bags are on the right bus.” “Do you have the right ticket?” They all must think that I am crazy. I hopped in first and diligently watched Scott pack the bus and slowly wander to the bathroom. How could he be so calm? Everyone was already on the bus! Needless to say, everything turned out okay, and we started our ride. Nha Trang is not very far from Dalat, but it takes 4 hours by bus because the route winds around the mountains. It was the most beautiful and scenic ride we had been on yet. The mountains were tall and looming, jungle trees shaped like toothbrushes (Scott’s term) jutted into the sky, water streamed down the side of the mountain, and every once in a while we saw the gray of the mountain stone.

After 4 hours, we arrived in sunny Nha Trang. The city’s weather stays sunny and cloudless for most of the year. Tourists filled the main streets, and resorts filled the coast’s skyline. We were later told us that Nha Trang once had the beauty of Morocco with the French villas and beautiful trees lining the streets. Now, it was an urban beach city. Scott and I checked in at our hotel, Tide Hotel, which was just a little outside of the main downtown area. We got a balcony, ocean-front room for only $15/night.

We have a family friend, Bac Di, who is living in Nha Trang, who we had been in contact with for a few weeks before our visit there. He had prepared his motorbike for us to borrow for two days. Bac Di and his wife live in Nha Trang for half the year (sometimes a whole year) and in the States the other half. It was the city he grew up in, and when we first met him, he looked like he belonged in a beach town. He had a cool necklace on, he was tan, and he had the relaxed style of a beach resident. Bac Di teaches Aikido for free in Nha Trang and occasionally goes spearfishing. We were excited to meet him and explore this new city with him. We went to pick up his motorbike and met his wife. They were already prepared for our spearfishing trip the next day. Bac Di recommended a place for us to eat lunch to enjoy the Nha Trang specialty, nem nuong (grilled ground pork). With our small map in hand, we finally found the restaurant, but not without some difficult. I am a poor navigator and completely led us astray, after I had listened to Bac Di’s directions. The meal was interactive; you had to wrap the pork with herbs, cucumber, mango, and fried rice paper to give it crunch into rice paper to make the rolls. Inexpensive and tasty.

After lunch, we visited the Po Nagar Champa temple. The Champa people inhabited the country of Vietnam before they were overthrown by the Vietnamese. Many of their ancient temples still stand in different parts of Vietnam, including Nha Trang. Scott and I drove to the ruins, and the courtyard leading to the main temple consisted of 12 tall pillars made of an orange-red brick. The view of the city was incredible. Up at the main site, there was one large temple and a few smaller ones, all with altars inside. People still entered the temples to pray. The ruins were beautiful and imagining them in their full splendor filled me with awe. Thousands of years ago, Champa people roamed these grounds, and now we were taking pictures of it. Much of the ruins had been restored, and the nice beautiful red brick we saw was actually from the 21^st century. Few of the original bricks still stood, which we found to be more beautiful because of its ancient splendor. It was almost too bad that the ruins had been restored so much. Scott and I took many pictures and headed to our second destination of the day.

Champa pillars

Audrey in the (restored) ruins

Scaudrey enjoying some Vietnamese history

Port of Nha Trang

Restored Champa temple

Inscriptions

Neighboring gardens

Thap Ba Hot Springs is a famous spa that uses the natural mineral water and mud to create unique baths for visitors. After getting a bit lost, we found a small road that ran next to the bay. We kept driving and couldn’t see the destination. We had to stop and ask someone for directions only to find that the place was only a few meters ahead. Scott and I opted for the “VIP Spa” treatment, and we were pampered for over 6 hours. We lounged near the pool first. It was so hot outside, so Scott and I jumped into the pool only to find that it, too, was extremely hot. We soon discovered that the pool’s water came from natural hot springs of the Thap Ba area. We would jump into the cold, mineral waterfalls and back to the pool of hot spring water. After a few hours, it was finally time to enjoy our mudbath. The bath was literally filled with mud water, and we both jumped in. It was the strangest experience; I felt like I was coated in grainy paint. We scrubbed our limbs and faces, and I covered my hair with the mud. It was supposed to be good for your skin. Then, we jumped into the hot mineral Jacuzzi. My skin has never felt so soft. The mud really had some magical qualities to it. After that, we got a 95 minute massage, dinner, and a mini-facial. Scott and I ended up being the last guests to leave, and by the time we stepped outside, it was dark. We were so relaxed. The road home was dark and empty, and we were swerving through small alleyways. We made it back to the hotel and decided to explore the night life a bit. Apparently, Nha Trang has a pretty bumpin’ nightlife which caters to the tourists, but Scott and I are always too tired to go out and “party.” We ended up at the night market, where there were stands and stands of jewelry, clothing, and other souvenirs. The market was lit aglow with blue Christmas lights and electric Chinese lanterns. Scott and I headed straight for the food section to buy our cherished drinks: nuoc mia (sugarcane juice) and sinh to (smoothie). The market was so crowded, and we had to push and shove are way through that pretty soon we were ready to leave. We went back home and quickly fell asleep, but the bottom line was going to the hot springs is a must if you stop by Nha Trang. My skin had never felt so smooth after I rubbed some mud all over it.

-Audrey

Mineral spring waterfall

Mineral water massage

Sunrise from Tide Hotel