Nha Trang, m'eh or yeah(!)?

From our boat in the islands

Nha Trang, I have mixed reviews on this place.  What made it amazing was the people that I was traveling and hanging with.  Otherwise, I could have probably skipped it due to the fact that it lacks culture and soul.  The big beach there could have been any where in the world, it was void of anything indicating you were in Vietnam at all.  The big, fun thing to do there that's a big draw is the water park.  The majority of the restaurants had Western food.  All things I could have seen or done in other parts of the world, more specifically any amusement park in America or any beach in Florida.  While it was a fun town to party in, if you're not into that, then skip it.  You can party anywhere in Vietnam and get more out of it.  I have friends who say they loved it though.  So to each his own.

A few POSITIVES about Nha Trang, the water out near the islands is quite beautiful.  The best thing I did was to buy a ticket to go to four of the islands out there and had a great time!  We basically made it into a booze cruise, went swimming at three different islands, beer was cheap, there was entertainment on board in the form of a lady-boy band (I don't think he was lady boy though, just a fun guy dressed as a woman), jumping off the top of the boat into the warm water, a floating bar with free drinks (a guy in a cool big tube outfitted to be a mini bar with a big bucket of mixed drinks for everyone), had a good friend with me to celebrate an amazing day, and had an amazing spread of a lunch. Oh, and did I mention that the ticket for all of this was only $7?!

The leader of our tour was not only super friendly and funny, he has been doing this for such a long time that he knew how Westerners like to joke, could poke fun at his own culture, made sexual jokes, knew a bunch of songs from all over the world including Russian, and spoke Chinese as well.  He was absolutely perfect to spend the day with.  Now, this lady boy band... they kicked ass!  Not only were they good musicians who knew a lot of popular rock songs from the 90's through current times, they were playing on guitars that the tuning keys were rusted and a drum kit that was made of a big plastic barrel for a bass drum and big pots that one would cook rice in with skins were stretched over them for drums.  A complete homemade drum set.  I loved it!  The leader had spoken to many people on the boat and when the band was playing, was asking where people were from, then he would bring them up on stage to sing a song from their country and others would join in.  Absolutely brilliant!  This one day, made all the days in Nha Trang worth it.

Super fun "lady boy" on our boat with coconut shell breasts.
Just look at all those smiling, excited faces in the background.  Good fun had by all!

Absolutely love the homemade drum kit!  

Rusted keys never stopped this guy from rockin'!

The leader of this cruise in the orange hat

Jon and Singh.  We met Singh on the street when he offered to get us ice for our cocktails
wanted to make at the beach for only $0.75.  Super cool guy with a crazy eye and a
wonderful spirit.  He hung out with us for a bit and we all just enjoyed each others company.

Singh and I... sweet guy even gave me his rosewood beaded bracelet as a friendly gesture. 

It's Tiger time!

Typical night out in Nha Trang with fellow backpackers

Hoi An, I LOVE LOVE you!

HOI AN LOVE

Hoi An, Vietnam reminds me of Sevilla, Spain.  Maybe it's the yellow color of all the buildings, maybe it's that most buildings are two floors or less, or the bougainvillea that grows there, or the small, quaintness of the town that's obviously oozing charm, or the fact that it's such a laid-back town and is probably the most laid-back town in all of Vietnam, maybe it's the sidewalk cafes, or the small walkways between buildings, or the hands down best food in all of Vietnam, or the tight-knit community... or perhaps it's the candlel-lit floating flowers in the waterway during the full moon, and a place where even babies roam around on the streets, or that it's just... serene.  It really does have the best of everything that Vietnam has to offer. 

Two things that Hoi An specializes in that if you ever go, you MUST try them!  I wouldn't steer you wrong!  White rose and Cao Lau (pronounced "cow lao").  White rose is basically a shrimp dumpling with rice paper (I think) bunched up to look like a rose.  I tried it in several places in the city, but only one was AMAZING - a restaurant called Old Garden.  If you want directions to it, I could probably point you there, but it's off a little walkway.  Their sauce is basically a perfect combination of sweet and sour like rice vinegar meets something sweet like plum, and then they garnish with fried onions and garlic making a nice crunchy contrast to the softness of the dumplings.  Cao Lau is like pho, but not.  Noodles are thicker, I find it has more flavor than pho, plus has roasted pork with fried wontons or pork on top of it along with lots of veggies.  No restaurant in particular that I can recommend for Cao Lau, but give a few places a try...  

For Westerners looking for something other than Asian food for once, this is a good stop.  Two recommendations: Cargo Club and Mango Room.  Luckily, they're next door to each other.  They aren't exactly backpacker budget friendly, but I really didn't care.  Cargo Club is a French Patisserie and has amazing chocolate croissant in the morning along with a great lunch menu filled with things like mustard roasted chicken on baguette, croque monsieur, and big, mixed green salads.  Man!  I miss that food!!  Other place, the Mango Room.  It's quite innovative with a combination of Vietnamese, Latin American, and European flavors and has super delicious, fresh drinks.  A must go to on your trip to Hoi An.

Another thing Hoi An is filled with and famous for, custom-made clothing at bargain pricing.  Want that Marc Jacobs dress that costs $800?  You can likely get it for $75 custom-made to your body, specs, colors, fabric, etc.  Anything and everything your heart desires can be made.  While I would have loved to had some great dresses made, I really didn't want to get them (likely, not backpacker friendly when I wad it up into my backpack and trek through monsoon season) and would have had to send them home (I don't like delayed gratification nor do I know when I'll even go home).  So I opted for something I couldn't find in all of Asia, basic shorts and skirt that fit my bum.  In this one-size-fits-all part of the world, I couldn't find anything that fit the lower half of my body - curvaceous bum and long legs are not same-same in this neck of the woods!  I spent $30 on the shorts and $25 on the skirt.  Normally, that would be a lot of money to spend when you can get things like that in any street market in Bangkok for $3-$9, but I figured I would have spent that at a place like Forever 21 AND they have been indispensable ever since.  They fit perfectly, I love the quality fabric, they go with everything, backpack friendly, machine washable, and most of all, they fit. Bonus, the company keeps your measurements on file for 5 years so you can contact them with pictures and such and have clothes shipped to you.  

By far, my favorite door photo I've taken so far

Abandoned building I couldn't help but love the many peeling layers of paint

THIS is what reminds me of Sevilla, the small little walkways that are "streets"

This guy must LOVE his song birds!!

Yep, even these people text and drive

Gotta love the vintage scooter!

Chillaxin' and watching the world go by

Yep, even fields being grown in the middle of the town

Getting set up for business

Oddly, not a gas station...?

Tour boats

Morning gossip?

BICYCLE LOVE

Luckily, this town if full of bicycles and very few motorcycles.  It really created a more harmonious and relaxed atmosphere.  The town is so small that it really is the best way to get around besides your own two feet!

Traditional attire

Off to school!

MARKETPLACE LOVE

I'm sure many of you have now noticed, I LOVE MARKETPLACES!!!!  Even in the early morning, the place is teeming with life, no one is chasing after tourists to buy since it's mostly locals who are there buying in bulk.  People are coming and going, the place is crowded, the tarps above are too low for someone my height so there's a lot of ducking, it's just so colorful (!!!!), most vendors don't speak English so if you have a question they either smile and nod, shoosh you away, or some will let you try whatever you're pointing at (and then expect you to buy), and there are all sorts of strange food smells and you can always tell what part of the market you're in either by smell or sound.  I'm always fascinated with all the different produce these countries have that we don't have in the States.  I love to stop, stare and figure it out as it's unlikely that I'll run into again.  Another thing why I love the market is that you can see any culture of people in their element.  They have friends that are vendors and exchange friendly chit-chat, early morning vendors are eating their breakfast and some even sleep, all are trying to make sure their product looks fresh and presentable by constantly rearranging once something has been sold, spraying water over the produce to keep it cool and fresh, babies are either playing or sleeping in the background somewhere, and all the unfamiliar pre-made foods are displayed for locals to take home for lunch or dinner later... most of which Westerners never see on a menu.  Locals only.

I like to think of this one as the three wise women

Morning breakfast...

Haven't quite figured out what those eggs are in the middle.  Saw some with what looks like dirt around them too...?

This man rocks!  I can only imagine how heavy this cart is!  And then
maneuvering it through the tiny walkways of the market!  Total rock star.

I think nearly any dish can be made with the ingredients in this picture.

Mm, yum, pig spine and tail... ?

Fruit that looks like an apple & tomato in front - it's a water apple.  Quite delicious!

Death is imminent... I probably had one of these for dinner that night.

Morning breakfast over duck for sale

Poultry section of the market.  Life duck or chicken anyone?

Street vendor outside of the market

BEACH LOVE

I have to admit, I think the beach in Hoi An is my favorite so far (though I'm sure it might change considering I haven't been to Thailand's or Cambodia's beaches yet!).  It was small, had few people, water is beautiful and warm, quaint, and is a bicycle ride from town.  Absolute heaven to spend a day here!

Paradise

Not sure what these boats are called, but up close they look like sturdy kiddie pools