11th February 2012
Nha Trang, Vietnam
Throughout this trip I have been writing in my journal everyday with military discipline; never missing a day; even though there are some that yield little activity, and with each new entry I indicate how many days I've been on the road for. Undertaking my usual weekly procedure of glancing back through my scribbles for interesting blog topics, I can see that day 124 was spent on a boat in the South China Sea, just off the coast from the seaside town of Nha Trang and I think that the antics of that day deserve a mention here...
After yet another long twelve hour coach journey from the idyllic Hoi An, arrived in Nha Tang on the morning of the 9th around dawn, just in time to see the sunrise over the golden sand of the city's famous Municipal beach. In addition to this expansive 6km long sandy beach, the coastal city of Nha Trang boasts an array of exquisite islands, glistening coral reefs and vibrant marine life; all of which can be visited on one of the numerous boat trips which set sail everyday from the local harbour. Leaving the coach station with backpack once again upon back, I checked my rough guide and set off for the 'Backpacker House' hostel in order to find a place to rest my weary head as the coach here had been, by far and away, the most uncomfortable and dirty I've been on so far and I'll tell you why. While getting off the coach in the morning I listened in horror as Wade - an American who had been lying in the berth next to me - told me that during the night he had felt a weight pressing down on his feet which seemed to gradually make its way up his legs. Baffled and confused, he looked down and lo and behold, through the darkness emerged the mischievous face of a rat, an encounter which understandably resulted in a yelp of terror from the Yank as he frantically jerked his body in an attempt to remove this unwelcome visitor from his bed! With the rodent gone from his berth, he then heard a similar yelp come from the row of elderly Chinese gentleman behind us as our furry friend made his presence known to the back of the bus. Thankfully this must have happened during one of my short bouts of sleep because I remained completely oblivious to the chaos which surrounded me and I feel that the term 'ignorance is bliss' has never been more appropriate!
Arriving at the hostel a few minutes later, it was unfortunately fully booked but luckily there were still a couple of beds available at Sons and Daughters; a hostel set in the same complex, within the heart of Nha Trang's backpacker-ville. The compound which consists of these two hostels, the Red Apple Bar and the Green Apple Restaurant is essentially a self-sufficient microcosm containing everything a backpacker may need whilst on the road. Notably a bed, a beer and a meal. In that order. In addition, as a place for an independent traveller like myself, it was also perfectly suited for meeting people and on the first night whilst sat eating and drinking - oh alcohol! the most universal of languages! - around the communal tables which were set up in the alleyway, I met a load of new people who I subsequently spent the rest of my time with in that party city. On one particular day along with Chris, an outdoor pursuits trainer from the lake district and Mike Ruf, a student from Germany, I booked a ride on a boat trip which was to include a tour of some of the local islands, some snorkelling and lunch aboard our very own 'booze-cruise-party' boat. Waking up early on the 11th, a big gang gathered outside the hostel and we all climbed aboard the minibus which took us down to the local harbour where we were introduced to the eccentric Bell who would be our lively guide for the day. With his dark leathery skin gained from too much time spent out at sea, greying hair and hunched shoulders, Bell wasn't the youngest of souls for hosting a party cruise but he did have a ton of jokes all designed to make his young crowds laugh, my favourites included his catchphrase - 'No money, No honeyz!' and his ironic rendition of Rod Stewart's ' Do you think I'm sexy?' After climbing aboard our boat with thirty other revellers, Bell then gave a safety speech which included the gem, 'Don' worry about sharks when swimmin' in de water. I've got a gun!', as a maniacal grin spread across his face. As we set off from the harbour, clouds dotted the mid morning sky; providing company for a sun which was gradually rising in elevation and strength by the minute. The morning breeze swept through our open sided boat as we cruised out to the first island where we were to undertake a bit of snorkelling over an expansive coral reef which rested beneath the surface of the navy blue waters. Mooring the boat just off the coast, the next hour or so was spent repeatedly climbing to the top deck of our boat and jumping into the refreshing waters of the South China Sea. After a few dives and front flips, I grabbed a mask and snorkel from the cabin; blew out the sea water from the snorkels funnel, and set off to find the coral reef which lay just offshore. Swimming past all the other tourist boats which had congregated next to ours, I found a peaceful spot, adjusted my mask and snorkel and set my gaze beneath the surface. Looking down I came across a vast city of marine life that pulsated with life across a vibrantly colourful coral reef; small fish darted through the stony corals while tiny sea anemones clung to the reef, wary of the unfamiliar bodies splashing above them. After spending half an hour investigating this fascinating aquatic life, I made my way back to the boat where I relaxed on the roof enjoying the sun with an ice cold 333 beer until Bell called everyone down for lunch. Descending the stairs, a vast table had been formed by folding the seats down, and a plethora of plates had been laid out containing spring rolls, steaming noodles, sticky rice, vegetables and a range of tasty sea food which everyone tucked into with relish. With lunch quickly dispatched by thirty ravenous tourists, so began the post-lunch entertainment which came in the form of a very unique Vietnamese boy band that consisted of a tin-pan drum set, bass slapping captain and a lady-boy lead singer - complete with Coconut breasts - who ran through a range of jumped up Vietnamese rock and roll. After rocking through a few familiar favourites and plenty of coconut rubbing...they then invited different nationalities to join them on the wooden bench stage to sing some international favourites and so we were treated to an Australian rendition of 'Land Down Under' and an Italian fellow yelling 'Ciao Ciao Ciao' - not familiar with the song myself but the Italians on board loved it. After this bizarre but fun bout of international karaoke, one of the crew members jumped into the sea with a metal ring made buoyant by a series of spherical buoys, which had a central seat set in the middle thereby creating a very unique floating bar. From his slightly raised position he then began to serve a very lethal vodka fruit punch to everyone as we swam out to him in our very own rubber inner tubes and it crossed my mind that South East Asia seems to have a penchant for mixing alcohol with rubber inner tubes after my experience in the lawless town of Vang Vieng... By this time, the sun was fighting a losing battle with an invasion of great white clouds that had crept into the sky overhead and as the warmth left the day, it fell to alcohol to keep us warm in the water; a task we all undertook admirably.....
After the last of the punch had either been drunk or spilt in the South China Sea, we all climbed back on board; some of us being a little worse for wear than others, as on the way to the final island one of the girls managed to fall overboard. An event which seemed to produce a lemmings effect within the boat as others followed suit deciding to jump off the side of the speeding HMS 'Booze Cruise' to join her in the water, spluttering about in their drunkenness. With everyone safely back on board we set sail for the final island where we docked for an hour, sipping beers on the beach and enjoying the sun which had fought back valiantly to win it's battle for the heavens; allowing it to close the day in the isolation of an azure sky. Finishing off at the final island we cruised back into town with Dire Straits playing over the boat's crackling stereo which suddenly switched to 'I'm on a boat' by Lonely Island just as we were pulling into the harbour. The change in song had quite a profound effect on the crowd and resulted in one American exploding with enthusiasm; jumping up onto the bow to give his own highly animated and intoxicated rendition of what was clearly one of his all time favourite tracks. Back on land, the partying lasted long into the night resulting in very little sleep and so my 7am bus ride to Dalat the following morning meant that my entry and exit to Nha Trang were both very uncomfortable affairs. Was a great day though day and I've never had so much fun on a boat.
Less than a month left in S.E.A; better get myself over to CAMBODIA after a pit-stop in Saigon!
After yet another long twelve hour coach journey from the idyllic Hoi An, arrived in Nha Tang on the morning of the 9th around dawn, just in time to see the sunrise over the golden sand of the city's famous Municipal beach. In addition to this expansive 6km long sandy beach, the coastal city of Nha Trang boasts an array of exquisite islands, glistening coral reefs and vibrant marine life; all of which can be visited on one of the numerous boat trips which set sail everyday from the local harbour. Leaving the coach station with backpack once again upon back, I checked my rough guide and set off for the 'Backpacker House' hostel in order to find a place to rest my weary head as the coach here had been, by far and away, the most uncomfortable and dirty I've been on so far and I'll tell you why. While getting off the coach in the morning I listened in horror as Wade - an American who had been lying in the berth next to me - told me that during the night he had felt a weight pressing down on his feet which seemed to gradually make its way up his legs. Baffled and confused, he looked down and lo and behold, through the darkness emerged the mischievous face of a rat, an encounter which understandably resulted in a yelp of terror from the Yank as he frantically jerked his body in an attempt to remove this unwelcome visitor from his bed! With the rodent gone from his berth, he then heard a similar yelp come from the row of elderly Chinese gentleman behind us as our furry friend made his presence known to the back of the bus. Thankfully this must have happened during one of my short bouts of sleep because I remained completely oblivious to the chaos which surrounded me and I feel that the term 'ignorance is bliss' has never been more appropriate!
Arriving at the hostel a few minutes later, it was unfortunately fully booked but luckily there were still a couple of beds available at Sons and Daughters; a hostel set in the same complex, within the heart of Nha Trang's backpacker-ville. The compound which consists of these two hostels, the Red Apple Bar and the Green Apple Restaurant is essentially a self-sufficient microcosm containing everything a backpacker may need whilst on the road. Notably a bed, a beer and a meal. In that order. In addition, as a place for an independent traveller like myself, it was also perfectly suited for meeting people and on the first night whilst sat eating and drinking - oh alcohol! the most universal of languages! - around the communal tables which were set up in the alleyway, I met a load of new people who I subsequently spent the rest of my time with in that party city. On one particular day along with Chris, an outdoor pursuits trainer from the lake district and Mike Ruf, a student from Germany, I booked a ride on a boat trip which was to include a tour of some of the local islands, some snorkelling and lunch aboard our very own 'booze-cruise-party' boat. Waking up early on the 11th, a big gang gathered outside the hostel and we all climbed aboard the minibus which took us down to the local harbour where we were introduced to the eccentric Bell who would be our lively guide for the day. With his dark leathery skin gained from too much time spent out at sea, greying hair and hunched shoulders, Bell wasn't the youngest of souls for hosting a party cruise but he did have a ton of jokes all designed to make his young crowds laugh, my favourites included his catchphrase - 'No money, No honeyz!' and his ironic rendition of Rod Stewart's ' Do you think I'm sexy?' After climbing aboard our boat with thirty other revellers, Bell then gave a safety speech which included the gem, 'Don' worry about sharks when swimmin' in de water. I've got a gun!', as a maniacal grin spread across his face. As we set off from the harbour, clouds dotted the mid morning sky; providing company for a sun which was gradually rising in elevation and strength by the minute. The morning breeze swept through our open sided boat as we cruised out to the first island where we were to undertake a bit of snorkelling over an expansive coral reef which rested beneath the surface of the navy blue waters. Mooring the boat just off the coast, the next hour or so was spent repeatedly climbing to the top deck of our boat and jumping into the refreshing waters of the South China Sea. After a few dives and front flips, I grabbed a mask and snorkel from the cabin; blew out the sea water from the snorkels funnel, and set off to find the coral reef which lay just offshore. Swimming past all the other tourist boats which had congregated next to ours, I found a peaceful spot, adjusted my mask and snorkel and set my gaze beneath the surface. Looking down I came across a vast city of marine life that pulsated with life across a vibrantly colourful coral reef; small fish darted through the stony corals while tiny sea anemones clung to the reef, wary of the unfamiliar bodies splashing above them. After spending half an hour investigating this fascinating aquatic life, I made my way back to the boat where I relaxed on the roof enjoying the sun with an ice cold 333 beer until Bell called everyone down for lunch. Descending the stairs, a vast table had been formed by folding the seats down, and a plethora of plates had been laid out containing spring rolls, steaming noodles, sticky rice, vegetables and a range of tasty sea food which everyone tucked into with relish. With lunch quickly dispatched by thirty ravenous tourists, so began the post-lunch entertainment which came in the form of a very unique Vietnamese boy band that consisted of a tin-pan drum set, bass slapping captain and a lady-boy lead singer - complete with Coconut breasts - who ran through a range of jumped up Vietnamese rock and roll. After rocking through a few familiar favourites and plenty of coconut rubbing...they then invited different nationalities to join them on the wooden bench stage to sing some international favourites and so we were treated to an Australian rendition of 'Land Down Under' and an Italian fellow yelling 'Ciao Ciao Ciao' - not familiar with the song myself but the Italians on board loved it. After this bizarre but fun bout of international karaoke, one of the crew members jumped into the sea with a metal ring made buoyant by a series of spherical buoys, which had a central seat set in the middle thereby creating a very unique floating bar. From his slightly raised position he then began to serve a very lethal vodka fruit punch to everyone as we swam out to him in our very own rubber inner tubes and it crossed my mind that South East Asia seems to have a penchant for mixing alcohol with rubber inner tubes after my experience in the lawless town of Vang Vieng... By this time, the sun was fighting a losing battle with an invasion of great white clouds that had crept into the sky overhead and as the warmth left the day, it fell to alcohol to keep us warm in the water; a task we all undertook admirably.....
After the last of the punch had either been drunk or spilt in the South China Sea, we all climbed back on board; some of us being a little worse for wear than others, as on the way to the final island one of the girls managed to fall overboard. An event which seemed to produce a lemmings effect within the boat as others followed suit deciding to jump off the side of the speeding HMS 'Booze Cruise' to join her in the water, spluttering about in their drunkenness. With everyone safely back on board we set sail for the final island where we docked for an hour, sipping beers on the beach and enjoying the sun which had fought back valiantly to win it's battle for the heavens; allowing it to close the day in the isolation of an azure sky. Finishing off at the final island we cruised back into town with Dire Straits playing over the boat's crackling stereo which suddenly switched to 'I'm on a boat' by Lonely Island just as we were pulling into the harbour. The change in song had quite a profound effect on the crowd and resulted in one American exploding with enthusiasm; jumping up onto the bow to give his own highly animated and intoxicated rendition of what was clearly one of his all time favourite tracks. Back on land, the partying lasted long into the night resulting in very little sleep and so my 7am bus ride to Dalat the following morning meant that my entry and exit to Nha Trang were both very uncomfortable affairs. Was a great day though day and I've never had so much fun on a boat.
Less than a month left in S.E.A; better get myself over to CAMBODIA after a pit-stop in Saigon!
x
Didn't take my camera on the boat but found some photographs online which were very similar to the trip I took.
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| Municipal Beach, Nha Trang. |
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| Location of Nha Trang |
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| A boat very similar to the one we were on. Jumping off the top deck was good fun. |
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| Once again, very similar set up to the lunch we had. |
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| The Vietnamese boy band who 'serenaded' us after lunch. |
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| The infamous floating bar. |
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