M-whY

At a nearby hotel, I negotiated a price for a 7am to 6pm stay. I then immediately crashed and didn't stir again until past noon. If it weren't for the fact I had to eat, I might not have woken up at all. I took some time to get my bearings before deciding on a place to eat. A place that looked like I'd get some real food instead of the standard travellers fare of fried noodles.

I've heard from people before me that travelling in Vietnam is a mixed bag. Some people love it, some people just can't stand the hassle. One girl back in Malaysia told me how it was particularly frustrating when she went to restaurants and was always being overcharged. I can understand how attractions might be cheaper for domestic tourists; I've dealt with that before in Indonesia and Cambodia, but food prices, you'd expect, would be uniform for everyone. In HCMC, it wasn't a problem. I stuck with cafes in the tourist district and there wasn't any obvious price discrimination. But when I took a seat here, I got a first hand account of what she was talking about.

While other Vietnamese sat down and right away got served a plate of rice with miscellaneous veggies and meats, I was brought an english menu with a huge selection of dishes. It was like the locals communicated their orders through a telepathic link that I wasn't connected to. I wasn't about to make a huge deal out of it. Lunch still cost less than US$2, and the food was edible enough. But nevertheless, I was a bit put off by this overt inequity, and wasn't in a very talkative mood when the owner tried beginning a conversation with me.

In his broken english I could barely understand, he asked my name, my age, how long I was staying, etc. I made up a lot of it, as I usually do when I don't feel like talking about myself. At one point, he asked about my family, to which I responded I had none, in effort to stave off any follow up questions he might've had. Then, he began talking about weddings with westerners, and how it was good and everything. Quickly, I recalled Chung's comment from back on Day 117. Hmm, I don't like the direction the discussion is taking, I thought to myself, and ended it right there. Her daughter wasn't even that attractive.

A little amused and also little disturbed, I headed down to the beach. It wasn't a great day for sunbathing; The weather was definately 'communist.' I walked along the coast, wondering where everyone was. Probably on one of the day excursions, I reasoned, which I had passed up in favor for some rest. Bored, I spent a couple hours at an internet cafe, uploading a blog entry and reading up on news. Not a very interesting day, but there's not much else I could've done in the drizzle.

At around 5pm, it was time to start heading back. I decided to give the beach one last look before leaving, and walked the 200m or so down to the shore. Literally every 20m, a motorbike pulled up next to me, asking if I wanted a ride. I just said no to someone else 15 seconds ago, what makes you think I want one now?? Yes, the other common complaint about Vietnam. Too many pushy motorbike drivers.

In just a few hours, the beach had gone from deserted to lively. People flied kites in the air, people played soccer on the sand. Whether the kids had gotten off from school, or all the tourists were back from their day trips, it was a whole new scene. I can imagine how on a nice day, Nha Trang could actually be pleasant. But on my list of favorite beaches I've been too, I have to say, it ranks pretty low.

Thanks to everyone for their support and comments! Knowing people are reading keeps me motivated to continue the updates!