Nha Trang

Nha Trang was a return to the beach. It had been nearly 3 weeks since I was a beach bum, and I was starting to miss the lifestyle a wee bit.

I was really enchanted by my guesthouse because it had this novel thing called (drum-roll please) 'air-conditioning'. How cool is that? After sweating my way through Southeast Asia, the luxury was unbelievable. I spent a long time sprawled across my bed whilst pondering the beauty of air-con. The downside of the air-conditioning was the fact I never wanted to leave the room and the Temple of the Cold Air.

The first night, Jon and I tried to find some Indian food, once again striking out with the Lonely Planet. All the addresses and maps were (once again) incorrect. Definitely underwhelmed by the Vietnamese edition of the LP. Though we were thwarted by my travel guide, we did manage to find some fabulous Indian food. We stopped by at a bar to have .25 cent drinks, but after a few of them, I was pretty worthless as a Jenga/pool player. :)

The next day, was primarily a beach-dwelling day. It was shaping up to be a good morning, due to a picnic lunch of bread, crackers, cheese, and tomatoes (all my favorite things). The beach was pretty nice, though it was definitely more of a tourist scene. Unfortunately, we decided to wander the length of the beach before returning to our initial starting point. (I say 'unfortunately' because it was hot. I was sweating. It wasn't pretty.) We rented some pretty posh deck chairs, and I spent a lazy afternoon reading.
I had exchanged books with a fellow traveler, and had a really interesting book on the sex industry in Southeast Asia. The industry is primarily supported by Asian men (not Western tourists) and their preferred ages for a sex worker is between 12 and 16. Most girls come from very poor countries (e.g. Burma and Cambodia), and most girls are sold to brothel owners by a trusted family member or friend. Though the author could have done a better job writing the book, I found it very informative. (Of course it was really sad as well...) Had mint-oreo ice cream that evening. It was a good day.

The next morning was devoted to the great book exchange. I had a total of nine (!) books to exchange, but only netted four books in return. That evening I watched England's first game in the world cup. I know that sentence just caused a few of you to gasp in shock; however, I wouldn't really have a choice about the matter. I am traveling with an English-person; therefore, I must watch the football. Well, to be honest, I did find it rather enjoyable. (What's become of me?) Chatted with mi madre that evening, and it was all good.

The last day in Nha Trang was a bit of an admin day. Laundry, reconfirming tickets, posting to my blog, you know, that kind of stuff that isn't worth writing about much. (Well, unless I want to bore you to tears...) I talked to my bro, which made me quite hyped. It had been eons since I conversed with the elder, who, in a flash of brilliance, has decided to imitate his greatest hero, Monique, by abandoning his job, ceasing to contribute to productive society, and supporting himself through the sale of false eyelashes. (Okay, so all but the last bit, the false eyelashes bit. I don't hawk those...at present.)

Next stop: One (joyous) overnight bus to Hoi An. One bus that was nearly missed due to eating activities at one Italian/Indian food restaurant. But that's another story.