Nha Trang :: 12/06

Not going to lie... we sort of tied one on last night, bar hopping here in Nha Trang. A group fo travelers all sort of met up at Crazy Kim's and then headed over the Why Not Bar until abotu 3:30am. Well, at least that's what time we decided to call it quits.

Of course, needless to say, morning didn't coem without a headache. I've had worse, though. For whatever reason, Nathan and I decided just to get up adn get moving and make something of the day. So, we went down by the beach, rented a couple of motor bikes, and set off north to check out some old temples. Riding cycles int he craziness that is Vietnam's city roadways was quite an experience, but it didn't take long to get the hang of things and work ourselves right into the hustle and bustle.

The temples were good for a half hour of obligatory tourism, but after that came the real fun. We rode our cycles through the backroads of the Nha Trang suburbs in search of these well known hot springs. For the longest time, we had little luck in locating them. However, int he process, we got to see a lot of the local flavor. And if I had to name that flavor, I would say it was rotten fish. Such is the life of poverty in Southeast Asia. That said, the people were full of smiles and the countryside was beautiful.

Finally, we found the hot springs and spent several hours soaking in mud and bathing in mineral water - nature's very own hangover cure.

Tonight we plan to take it easy, for tomorrow we embark on a three day motorcyle trip through the middle of the country, passing through small villages and getting a real look at Vietnam on our way up to Hoi An. This promises to be a major highlight of the trip, and Nathan and I are both pretty excited to get on the road with Chin and the Easy Riders. Chin is an absolute riot, and his favorite phrase appears to be, "Why fucking not!" It's not so much WHAT he is saying, so much as it's HOW he says it and HOW OFTEN. I laugh every time. Hey, Chin, let's talka bout the trip while Nathan and I eat dinner. "Why FUCKING not!" Every time with a big toothy smile. Chin. Good times.

Probably won't have too much access to interneet over the next few days, but I'll try and post when I can.