VIETNAM, PART 2

Vietnam, Part 2

After leaving Hong Kong we headed back to Vietnam. Our destination this time was Nha Trang, a resort area filled with temples and markets and fishing villages along the river.

We shuttled in to the city to see what we could see. There was only limited time of 6 hours so we had to make it count. Turns out the best way to do that is by pedicab! We really liked this way of getting around a place fairly quickly, avoiding traffic and seeing things at a pace that allows you to stop easily and take a look. We did the highlights – the White Buddha (240 steps!), Temple on the Hill, the markets, the cathedral. But the local sites of roundabout circles with sculptures in the center, red hammer/sickle flags, open front stores, dress shops and food vendors are what will be remembered.

For lunch we chose a restaurant near the beach and had wonderful spring rolls and noodles.

The beach area is developed, modern and stretches for several miles. There are pools, restaurants, and hotels all settled in among palms, flowering trees and wonderful scents of food, flowers and the ocean.

New construction is everywhere – signs on the fences barricading work areas are covered with advertisements for new business – and all feature multi-cultural people, not just Vietnamese or Asian.

As much as the first trip to Saigon was about the past and change, this trip to Vietnam was about the present and the future.

Glad about that.