Sure, Saigon was a great introduction to Vietnam, and I really enjoyed my time there, but I was getting itchy to hit the road to see as much as I could in only three weeks here. At 1600 km (1000 miles), Vietnam is long – very long, and when you factor in low speeds that dodging water buffalo, scooters, and bikes on the crowded roads, traveling from place to place becomes pretty significant time-wise.
So, I bit the bullet and scored an overnight bus ticket to my next stop of Nha Trang, which gave me one more day in and around Saigon to see my last sights.
I started off as I began, with a great bowl of pho (“pha”) - noodles, chicken, loads of fresh veggies and herbs – at Pho 24, a fast-expanding chain that's aspiring to be the local McD's. Spotless and air-conditioned, it's a nice step up from eating in the local stalls on the street. It's a great meal – filling you up without all of the heavy meats and eggs of an American or British brekkie.
My plan was pretty flexible – just pick a general direction and go, so I ended walking through a number of neighborhoods on a search for the Jade Emperor Pagoda, a few kilometers away.
After getting very lost, repeatedly, due to a rare Lonely Planet map error, I eventually found the pagoda – and it was well worth the effort. Redolent with incense, and shrouded in smoke, the giant statues of the fierce protectors suddenly loom out at you as you pass:
I'm always a bit torn in situations like this, because when you see some orange-clad monks praying or other religious ceremonies, the first reaction is to try and capture it with a picture. It's hard, but normally I'm able to restrain myself from being a distraction, and I just sit back and try to absorb the scene.
Heading back to the streets, surprise, surprise, it was wicked hot again, so I gave into temptation and grabbed a big ice-cold soda at the local KFC. Not a cultural experience on the level with the pagoda, but it's still interesting to see the differences in multinational companies as they adapt to local cultures. In this case, they don't use throwaway paper plates or the like, but proper flatware and glasses, and their popcorn chicken was a funky Thai flavor that actually worked out really well.
But first, on the way, I said my good-byes to Uncle Ho at the communist party HQ... and is it just me (and Robin Williams in Good Morning Vietnam) or does he bear a striking resemblance to good ol' Colonel Sanders from KFC? As they are the only major western fast food franchise allowed – I think this likeness been crucial in helping persuade the authorities:
I sucked it up and caught my first motor scooter taxi back to backpacker land and, well, it was an experience. You basically just sit on the back and hang on for dear life – placing a great deal of trust in a driver you don't know from Adam, who weaves in and out of the swirling chaos without a 2nd thought. I had many second thoughts (and third and fourth for that matter)... but then surprisingly quickly, the ride was over and I survived... sweet.
The rest of the afternoon was pretty chilled out – the heat had knocked me out a bit, so I retreated to a local cafe with world-class strawberry smoothies and wi-fi, a great combination.
After all that pho, I was a bit noodled out, so I caved a bit and grabbed a surprisingly good pizza at a cool bar named Allez Boo. An institution in the neighborhood, it's one of THE places to see and be seen – and a bit of a meat market besides, but they do serve up good drinks and tasty food.
Before heading out, my hotel was great, as they allowed me to take a quick shower before hopping on the overnight bus... being able to get the, ah, 'funk' off was a pleasure, and also a tremendous favor to my fellow passengers! It might have helped that I gave a bit of impromptu English teaching to the friendly guy who worked there – he was having a tough time pronouncing the 'r' in some words. Not sure how much I helped, but we had a good laugh – especially when he helped me with some key Vietnamese words... a disaster for my atrocious pronunciation, but fun.
Now... about the tourist buses in Vietnam. Wow. Just... wow. For only about $5 or $6, you can catch a seat on a Sinh Cafe 'sleeper' bus, that really puts Greyhound or National Express to shame. A/C and comfortable seats are a start, but here's the twist – you crash out nearly fully horizontal in your own semi-cubicle:
It's kind of like business class for buses... and a great way to save a day spent on travel. The minor downside is that if you are over 5'10”, it's a tight fit and you end up trying to be a human pretzel, curled or flopped over however you can.
We pulled into Nha Trang on a gorgeous sunny day, and it was time to get my beach lounge action on. Nha Trang isn't really famous for anything cultural – just beaches, beaches, and more beaches.
I got a great rooftop hotel room, facing the beach with my own balcony for a song...
Then headed out for some breakfast which surprise, surprise, was pho. Yup, I told you I loved this stuff...
Eventually I walked back through the non-beachy part of town to explore the Long Sun Pagoda, which featured a massive white Buddha statue overlooking the town, memorializing the six monks who burned themselves to death in protest of the Vietnam War (or as the locals refer to it - the “American War” naturally enough).
First, one of the many memorials to the fighters from the war... in the best 'heroic' style:
And the BIG Buddha...
Finally, not to be outdone, for a change of pace, the pagoda also features a 40' long reclining Buddha...
My last surprise popped up just as I was leaving the grounds... I looked back, and what symbol did I see as the center of an intricate tiled display?
Talk about disconcerting... does this mean that all of the monks walk around goose-stepping, with bad Adolf mustaches? Nah... turns out that the Nazis actually appropriated this ancient symbol for their own uses – it's quite common in India and Vietnam, but it's hard to avoid the reflexive flash of disgust I get whenever I see one.
On the walk back into town, I stopped off at a gallery devoted to Vietnam's most famous photographer... Long Thanh. Just amazing – he shoots black and white film, and doesn't edit or retouch. What you see is what you get, and that includes some pretty spectacular glimpses of Vietnamese culture... my favorites were these:
Stunning - I really really wish I could be a tiny bit as good as this guy.
The rest of the afternoon was all about lounging. In a pleasant surprise, Nha Trang has a fully-fledged microbrewery on the beach called Lousiane (sp?), complete with stouts, ales, and more. That'd be great enough, but toss in an authentic sushi bar with Japanese chef, plus a pool for the use of the guests, and let's just say that I spent a fair amount of time here...
On the way back, I indulged myself again with another shave from a street-side barber:
... where for a mere 20,000 dong ($1.25), he spent about 30 minutes giving me a truly spectacular shave. In yet another new experience for me, he also spent 10 minutes giving my ears an uber-clearning, starting with a cotton swap inside, then tweezers, and cotton buds. I admired his diligence, but it actually got a bit uncomfortable as he was poking around, that I began to worry about him doing damage and had to ask him to stop.
After the pampering, it was back to the hotel, where I got my dose of Americana with Ocean's 12 on the tele, and some fresh squid in chili at a local restaurant before crashing early with a bit of a headache from the beers and the sun.
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