Nha Trang to Tam Ky

Nha Trang to Tam Ky

Last week we took a 5 day trip up to the central eastern coast of Vietnam. You know your trip is going to be exciting when problems occur, especially before you even get on the plane. We were traveling with our friend, Joseph. Mark had gotten his ticket on line and somehow got his Vietnamese name turned around and the airline would not except the ticket. We ended up having to buy another ticket and apply for a refund minus the 10% fee. He ended up boarding just as the doors were about to close. We flew into Cam Ranh Bay Airport, this was a major US military base during the war. We then took a 20 minute taxi ride into the city of Nha Trang. This is the city where the Miss Universe contest is held. It is a beautiful beach city. We found a hotel across from the beach for only $15.00 a night. We were on the fifth floor and the hotel even had an elevator. What more could we ask. That evening we found a place to have dinner and do some tourist shopping. The next morning at 6 AM we heard the AC go off. It turns out this was there day to be dark. The government takes one day a month to turn off the electricity throughout the country. How lucky could we be to have it happen on the one day we were there. Mark and I got up early and had breakfast, omlette's, which is two fried eggs to them and then we walked along the beach. It was very clean and as I went to turn around for Mark to take a picture I got hit by a wave coming in. We headed back to the hotel and climbed the 5 flights of stairs to our room. We decided that all of the city could not be dark so we took a taxi to see some sights. They have some beautiful rock formations. At 3 we headed to the bus station where we had reserved seats to continue our trip. It turns out the bus was a 12 passenger van which was packed. Joseph thought we would be to crowded so he went back to the hotel to get a refund on the tickets, over which they hasseled him. After returning to the station we waited an hour for the next regular bus. While waiting, the owner of the company came up and asked where we were going. Joseph had gone outside and we did not understand what he wanted. we are working on the language but that is going to take more time. Joseph came back in and talked for a long while to the man and it turns out he made arrangements for the rest of our trip. Ok, its time to board the bus. We got on and there was no one else on the bus except the owner and the driver. This was great, all the room we wanted. Little did I realize that as we began our 6 hour trip we picked up more people, no official bus stops, they just know where to go to be picked up. We even began picking up bundles of bananas, coffee beans and then we came to a load of coconuts. It took 20 minutes for them to load them onto the bus. Carrying cargo pays much more than the passangers. By the time we arrived in Song Cau, it was 10 PM and all I wanted was a clean bed. We were shown to a pretty new hotel which was named Laura. The next day we visited some folks and had a great lunch of fish, rice, something that tasted like crab but they kept telling me it was different and for dessert we had a banana, coconut ice thing. You had to taste it, is was good. The family had a 1 1/2 year old, who at first would not even look at us then he warmed up and began bringing his toys to me to play with him. During our play time he had to go to the bathroom, he just ran outside to a tree, who needs a bathroom. After lunch we went down the street to a cafe to wait for the sleeper bus to come to take us to Tam Ky our final destination. This was our first experience on a sleeper bus. Now even though these buses take tourist all over the country they are not built for anyone over 5 feet tall. It is like a lounge chair that goes back for you to sleep in. We had another 6 hour bus ride and this time, no stops. We were more than glad to enter the city of Tam Ky. We probably won't do that again. Even with the stops on the regular bus, at least our legs get stretched. As we pulled up to our hotel we noticed it was dark, it was 6 PM, getting darker and yep, no electricity. After being shown to our room with a lantern, which they did not leave with us, we had to use our cell phones for light, the electricity went back on. The blackouts were following us. Mark thought this was a message for us. We spent the next several days visiting and on Tuesday it happened again, the electricity went off, this time only for 30 minutes, we were told they were working on the power lines. That evening we were taken to the beach, the city was celebrating their freedom from the US war, March 1975. We even saw some floats they had used in a parade, as we were leaving town. It reminded me of the Rose Parade in Pasadena but on a much smaller scale. We even passed a truck that was decorated and it was getting washed at a gas station. Just think of the rose parade about 50 years ago and you will get the picture. We really enjoy our travels and experiencing new things. We even were served Ostrich heart, fortunately we did not know what it was, it really did not have much taste. Meeting new friends and sharing makes all the problems seem trivial.

Women"s Day in Vietnam

Monday, March 8th was Women's Day here. On Saturday I was in my next door market and wondered why they were putting together baskets with shampoo and bath gel, etc. Valentine's day was over and its a long way until next Christmas. Then I noticed the carts with flowers everywhere. Well I had to go to the medical clinic here on Monday and after the visit I was given a rose for Women's day. Then as we were walking back to the bank we made a pit stop at one of the few Gloria Jean's and they were having a buy one get one for 50% off on there drinks but only for the ladies. Everywhere we went in town people were saying happy womens day. I had not seen this many flowers since Tet. FLowers and shampoo what else would a woman want???

Funny Sightings

The week of Tet (the Lunar Chinese New Year) everything closes as I shared previously. Mark and I sit at the computer a lot so we like to go to our fitness center daily. Well they closed the fitness center on New Year's Eve, Feb 13th, and reopened 9 days later on Monday Feb 22. I am not sure the reason since all they do is unlock and then relock the doors. The guards in the building still were on duty so why they had to close is still a mystery. During that time Mark and I would walk laps around our building, as did others who use the center. There is a driveway that circles the building. We see many unusual things on these walks but the funniest yet was coming around the corner one evening and seeing these three little boys all dressed alike, around 2 yrs of age, peeing into the bushes. They were tripletts and each had on the same clothes, a bright orange t-shirt, shorts down past their knees and those squeeky sandals, oh and they all three had glasses which were a little big on them. Mini Einsteins's. Mark is always telling me to carry my camera but who carries a camera to do laps, not I. After they finished doing their business they proceeded to squeek back to the front of the building and over to where the cars were parked. They could barely reach the door handles but proceeded to try to open several car doors, not sure why but they sure were a cute distraction. The second funniest had to do with a Rooster. The people here like fresh meats so many have fish tanks where they keep their fresh fish for the week or sometimes they will keep chickens. They have a bamboo type cage for them. Well the guards in our building, there are around 4-5, who sit at the entrance all day and watch life go by and ocassionally walk through the building, have just such a cage with a rooster, except I think this one is more of a pet. They often let him run loose in the driveway and sometimes I will see them pick him up and put him on the motor bike and off they go. Well back to my story, Mark and I were coming home from somewhere and as we got off our friends motor bikes we saw two of the gueard with a paintbrush, brushing someting on the back of this rooster. I am not sure if it was medicine or if they just thought he needed more color added to his already pretty markings, now that I think of it, maybe he is a little to pretty !!