After three full days of exploring the chaos of Ho Chi Minh City, we’re heading north along the coast, and hoping to find some respite in the seaside town of Nha Trang, most known for its sweeping white sand beaches.
It’s our first time on the Vietnam Railways, for a taster trip of just over 7h, starting in the early hours of the morning. After a sunrise arrival at HCMC station, we find the train waiting for us and easily board with the help of friendly locals to find the right carriage and seats. We’re travelling daytime and so booked seats only - they’re decently spacious although as always too short for us, but it’s a comfortable enough trip and we sleep through half of it anyway to make up for our early start.
As we step out of Nha Trang station, we relax for the first time in weeks as a mercifully cool sea breeze sweeps over us - we haven’t had temperatures this comfortable since we left Luang Prabang more than two weeks ago. Encouraged, we decide to walk fifteen minutes to our hotel - perhaps a tad ambitious, and as soon as we turn into smaller streets the wind dies down and the heat is back. Nha Trang is pleasantly quiet in comparison to chaotic Ho Chi Minh City, and although the swarms of bikes and liberal honking are still there, it does feel like a more laid-back, sleepier seaside retreat.
After dropping off our bags at the vertiginous Zenia Hotel (pool on the twentieth floor!) we immediately head for the beach - I’m impatient to get some swimming in after the sweltering temperatures of the past couple of weeks! Unfortunately, as we reach the shore, thunderous crashing waves immediately crush my ambitions. There’s a strong wind coming in from the sea, coupled with a powerful swell, and the roiling water is creating a mess of rollers with the bigger ones easily topping two meters. Not a safe environment to swim in and indeed the beach flutters with red flags - lounging only here. It’s windy at the hotel pool as well and we just give up on swimming for the evening and search for a restaurant instead.
I still haven’t managed to try pho - the traditional Vietnamese noodle soup - and so we specifically search for this, landing in a small, highly-recommended eatery. As our bowls arrive however, we realise there is two for each of us: it turns out we picked a place that specialises in deconstructed pho, with the noodles, herbs and vegetables in one bowl, and the broth and meat in another one. The very helpful waitress walks us through how to eat it - and strongly insist we are not to mix the two bowls together! With her expert flavouring, it does turn out to be delicious although I’m still hankering after a simple bowl of soup.
We were hoping the waves would calm down overnight, but as we wake up the next morning, rain is pattering down and the wind is whistling through our window. It looks like we’re not getting in the water today either! We still head down to the beach and spend a pleasant while lounging in the very comfortable Four Seasons beach bar - a luxurious area with a fantastic view of the crashing waves. The bay is lovely, despite the foamy waters, with a sweeping crescent of pristine sand extending for kilometres, and it’s a very enjoyable view from our comfy armchairs.
It’s a bit of a light programme however, and as an alternative activity, we head up along the shore towards the Yersin Museum, recommended by mum who is following our progress from afar. The Swiss physician fell in love with the Nha Trang region after an early exploratory trip in the 1890s, and established himself here, quickly attaining fame through identifying the plague bacillus. The tiny, deserted museum has an impressive collection including the scientist’s library, furniture and a fair share of his instruments, and a wealth of pictures, maps and press cuttings recounting his incredible life - doctor, explorer, engineer and farmer all in one! It’s a nice, historical interlude, and Yersin’s story is truly fascinating - he was one of the leading minds behind the cures for several of south-east Asia’s deadliest diseases, and went on to introduce a range of new fruits and vegetables to the region, including the now-ubiquitous rubber tree.
We close off the day with some more lounging in our hotel’s rooftop bar - with a lovely view through some more high-rise towers to the still churning sea. We’d like to go snorkelling tomorrow in the neighbouring islands, reputed for their corals, but the weather really isn’t playing ball for the moment - hopefully it does calm down in the night this time?
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