Day 13
Country
Check out time wasn't till midday and we needed to change some more money so we walked on the already busy beach to find a bank. After the bank we walked some more through the back streets of Nha Trang and a local fruit and veg market.
In Vietnam as in may Asian countries motorbikes are the only family vehicle. They are used to carry the entire family, livestock, fridges and washing machines - you name it - on the backs of their bikes. We have even seen pet dogs riding pillion on a couple of occasions! This morning we saw one bike with a kiddie's seat complete with seat belt. Check out the photo below.
We wanted to stay close to Nha Trang as the beaches were so nice but did not want to stay in town. So we looked on the map and picked the Ninh Hoa area and searched for a hotel. Trip Advisor had some good reviews on the Light Hotel so we headed there. It was only 45 kms away and we were there before 2pm. It was a nice place about a 10 minute walk away from the beach and the Doc Let Beach Resort. A young Spanish couple - Victor and Elena - were working there in return for free room and food. Victor checked us in and a few minutes later knocked on our door with two bottles of cold water and two cans of cold beer compliments of the owner. Thank you very much.
The owner, Trung, was a Vietnamese gentleman who spoke very little and when did speak he only spoke Russian owing to the fact he had spent 18 years there.
After a quick shower and change of clothes we headed to check out the beach. It was deserted. As was the resort. Everyday hoardes of tourists (mainly Russian and Chinese) are bussed here from nearby hotels in the morning and picked up and taken back to hotels in the evenings. Apparently they charge you to enter the beach through the resort so we were told to go a different way where we could get in for free.
Back at the hotel we met Ryan from Seattle who was also riding a XR like us. We also met three retired Scandinavian ladies who were on a three-month road trip through Thailand, Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia. All on public transport. There were also a Polish lady and two Czech blokes who were weird.
More cold beers were being thrust at us by the owner Trung. When that was finished out came a bottle of vodka. We all went out to eat at a local restaurant. It turned out to be the same one where Ron and I had earlier witnessed an angry mum take a lump of 2 x 4 to her tennage son's motorbike. The bike was still lying on it's side feeling sorry for itself. There was lots of food and two more bottles of vodka. There were 8 or 9 of us mind you. We all got given a goody bag full of fruit afterwards by the restaurant owners!
It was about 1 am now and back at the hotel Trung asked me to go with him to buy more drink. We went on his scooter (I know!) and woke a local shopkeeper up from his sleep. On the way back I felt it was safer if I rode the bike which I did (again, I know). And on it went like that till about 2.3 am when I went off to bed and left Ron playing cards with the Czech mates.
