Amongst the fishes in Nha Trang, Old Town Hoi An
February 2, 2010
Vietnam has these cool overnight buses that reminds me a bit of the Knight Bus in Harry Potter, except without the magic and crazy driving. It’s basically two tiers of reclining sleeping berths, a good fit for short people, but not long enough for me to stretch my legs out. Regardless, it’s fairly comfortable and an economical way to get to a new place and save on hotel bills.
I’ve heard that the coastal city of Nha Trang has great beaches, good diving, and all around good time. But since I felt I’ve beached enough in Thailand, I wasn’t planning on staying there very long. I arrived in Nha Trang around 6:30am, booked a bus to Hoi An for 6pm that night, and went off searching for a dive shop. Most of them have already left for the day, but I did find one run by a French expat who sent me off with an island tour boat that will drop me off at his dive boat off Mun Island. It was a gorgeous ride out, blue water, green mountains, and beachy music.
The dive site was great. The visibility wasn’t as good as off Ko Nanyuan in Thailand, but definitely has more than passable visibility. I also saw more fishes and coral here. I played catch with a giant starfish (which my Divemaster picked up and which I’m pretty sure wasn’t allowed), chased a barracuda, and swam with a school of fishes. On the way back, I swapped stories with 2 guys from Spain and the Netherlands. It’s always interesting to meet travellers and hear their crazy adventures.
I’ve been in Hoi An since early yesterday. It’s got an old town feel, very cute and laid back. It’s crazy hot during the day but much cooler during the evening time, especially by the river. I went to the Cham ruins in My Son today, to see the ancient temples set against lush forests and meandering streams. It’s a beautiful location, and the temples, though not as interesting as others I’ve seen, were a testament to the ingenuity of the Chams (they used sugar cane and a certain tree oil for mortar) and the influences from other cultures (Shiva and Ganesh feature prominently here). Sadly, many of the temples were destroyed by US bombing during the war, something our tour guide was very quick to point out. We came back to Hoi An by boat, and it was probably one of the most enjoyable river rides I’ve taken. Now I’m enjoying my last evening here in Hoi An and then it’s off to Hue tomorrow.
