Shafted!
From Dalat my next stop was the tourist trap of Nha Trang, where most of the action centres around the beach. At least it should, except when it doesn’t stop raining for 4 days straight! As it did while I was there. The bus journey was uneventful for once and I arrived just in time to find accommodation before dusk fell. And who should I see as soon as I arrived? Only Jayne and Lina – again! With the greetings out of the way, we resolved to head out for dinner shortly after. It was good to see the girls again and from this point onwards the three of us travelled the rest of the way to Hanoi together.
Nha Trang would be a lovely spot if the sun shone – sadly for us it didn’t. Aside from a few nights of partying with cheap rum, the highlight of our time here was a visit to Vinpearl Land. Vinpearl is a big water park, with lots of slides which are loads of fun. The site also has a huge amusement arcade area, a fun fair and an aquarium. Despite the fact it rained again we had a great day, generally acting like big kids. My highlight was when I managed to skim on my sliding mat all the way to the end of the splash pool which is supposed to slow you down. I emerged to a round of applause from all the locals stood at the end! We probably stayed in Nha Trang about two days too long and when we did eventually leave we got a night bus to Hoi An.
The bus journey was a bit of a nightmare for me as I was allocated a bunk at the back, sandwiched between four other people. I could only lie in the coffin position and therefore got very little sleep. The buses in Vietnam tend to drop you at their preferred hotel and more often than not you can get a better deal by looking else where. However, the morning we arrived in Hoi An we were all so exhausted that we were more than happy to just take the one we’d arrived at. All three of us shared a room and although it was nice, at first glance it seemed a little expensive. We did however have a free buffet breakfast included. If we filled our boots there, including making sandwiches for lunch, we were definitely getting value for money!
Hoi An is a pretty little town on a river and is principally known as being a centre for tailoring. The girls got some things made, but I opted out. The budget was a little tight and I didn’t fancy dragging a suit round with me for the rest of the trip. We succumbed to the weather here and had to don jeans and jumpers or jackets for the first time. We had heard of a place called Marble Mountain a few kilometres up the coast and decided to check it out. We hired two scooters from our hotel and headed off there. Jayne was confident enough to drive her own and I had Lina as pillion. She had never ridden a scooter before so I said I’d teach her – big mistake. We pulled into a remote car park that was empty. On her first attempt Lina managed to drive the scooter into a wall, despite both Jayne and me screaming “Brake!” at the top of our lungs. Apparently she was braking but also pulling on the accelerator at the same time! Luckily she was okay, but for some bruising and being a bit winded. The bike was still fine too, so we continued on with the trip. There would be no further lessons from me!
As we approached the Marble Mountain we were waved in by a woman on the street. I was a little distracted because I could barely believe my eyes. There was masses of construction going on around the mountain and a huge concrete monolith had been erected alongside it. From the top of it a walkway had been added, replete with glass panalling and stainless steel handrail. The workmen were putting the finishing touches to the ELEVATOR SHAFT to take tourists to the top!!! It’s not even very high. I’ve seen a lot of construction that damages the natural beauty of a place on this trip, but this absolutely takes the cake.
We ventured up the traditional route of the steps and although the mountain was quite nice, none of us could get past the eyesore being put up alongside us. We headed back to town at a decent pace – Jayne’s confidence was definitely up. That night we headed out to the only bar in Hoi An that stays open late. It’s memorable feature was the graffiti all over every surface. I was reading through some of the stuff up there which was the usual mix of smut, filth and patriotic nonsense. Then my eye was caught by one quote. But it wasn’t the sentiment I was interested in. The name below it was one I recognised – it was a guy who had been on my boat in the Whitsunday Islands some 8 months earlier! To wheel out a traveller’s favourite cliché – it really is a small world…
Today’s tune of the day is dedicated to Lina’s driving skills. This is Crashin’ In by The Charlatans:
