Nha Trang, A Tropical Paradise

Nha Trang is fast becoming one of the world's most popular destinations. The weather is perfect, humidity lowest in Vietnam, and its bay one of the world's most beautiful. What's not to love? The new highway from the airport into town is broad and fast with incomparable views.

With our first afternoon free we headed towards the city's Buddhist Temple and admired a fairly new reclining Buddha whose face in repose made us smile with him. Above him on the hill is a sitting Buddha who looms above the city and can be seen from all over.










After lighting fifteen sticks of incense at four shrines and offering prayers for the special needs of our family, friends and fellow travelers, we headed to the Cathedral known as the Stone Church. Inside we found our friend, St. Therese of Liseux - no surprise because she's in every church in the world, it seems.

After more prayers and one miracle (St. Anthony found the visor which I had lost at the temple. It was in Jerry's backpack which he had checked TWICE), we went to the beach to put our feet in the warm waves of the South China Sea. Except for the ever-present motorbikes which pursue us in the streets and on the sidewalks (!) we might have thought we were in Hawaii or on a South Seas Island. (Have you guessed yet that pedestrians do not have the right-of-way here?)


The next morning we took a boat to Tringuyen, a small fishing village on an island where we offloaded with villagers and their produce - fish, pigs in gunny sacks, vegetables and crowds of people. We made our way through the village peeking into yards and open front doors, passing by the barbershop (where a barber was removing wax from someone's ear), sidewalk stalls, tables laden with soups ready to be ladled into bowls, a lady sewing parasails, a man repairing his fishing net and this "supermarket." (Note the chalked "X's" on the side. This is to provide protection from spirits after a funeral procession has passed by.) The tiny street opened up into this gorgeous view on the other side of the island where we were to experience our second adventure of the day - a ride in a basket boat!

We bobbed up and down like "three men in a tub" and only wished it had been a longer ride. But more was waiting---another island, another "day in paradise." We were taken to a private beach for nearly two hours of relaxation and swimming. Some of us decided to take advantage of the foot massages. We weren't sure whether the person massaging my feet and legs (a first for me) was a man or a woman. Finally, we decided --- it didn't matter.

Lest anyone think Nha Trang is only about the simple life, here is a picture of part of a half-mile long gondola ride over the water to another island where there is a huge and expensive resort. Resorts are popping up all over, and Nha Trang is fast becoming another Miami Beach. Get here quickly!



Not too far from the city center we visited a "basket village," a place of 2,073 inhabitants whose sole job is making baskets to hold fish. The baskets last about a month, so they'll never run out of work. They use the bamboo which grows in their village. We met Mr. Huong, the village mayor in charge of "control." He was a soldier in the South Vienamese army and after the war was sent to a "rehabilitation camp" for three months of re-education in the tenets of Communism. He was charming and hospitable, offering us tea served by the river in the shade of the bamboo trees while he answered our questions.

This house on the verge of collapse is owned by a 52-year-old man with four children. It is being rebuilt by the Grand Circle Foundation.

We went to the market back in town to explore the exotic goods (dried seahorses?!), spices, vegetables and the fruits - which we tasted (lychees, mangosteen, custard apple and milk fruit).

That night we decided to celebrate Valentine's Day by going to the supermarket and buying gouda cheese from Denmark, crackers, cashews (a product of Nha Trang) and a can of sardines (not my idea). We ate it on a bench in the park by the beach, undeterred by the big rat we saw earlier running across the sidewalk in front of us. Later, back at our hotel, there was a knock at the door, and two of the housekeeping staff had come to wish us "Happy Valentine"s Madam and Sir" with glasses of champagne, candle, hand-made rose and heart-shaped chocolates. Our two days in Nha Trang were quite romantic.