Everyone Deserves a Second Chance...

Nha Trang, Vietnam

June 20, 2007
N 12°14.127
E 109°11.195

Guest Writer: Elise Tuttle

Shortly after settling into Nha Trang, I realized that it was not the quiet beach town I was looking forward to. Turned off by the very large, carnival-like crowds at the beach, we made plans to give the city one full day and then move on to Da Lat.

Our guide book suggested a boat tour of the 4 islands near Nha Trang. With it costing only $5, I figured we couldn’t go wrong. Upon arriving on the boat we were promised a lovely day of snorkeling, lunch, singing and dancing with a live band, and wine (all included in the $5 price). Since our guide was quite the jokester, I wasn’t sure what to expect. To my surprise every single one of his promises was fulfilled.

On the way out to the first island they played a mix of classic jams including Hansen Brothers, The Beatles, Britney Spears, and of course my favorite Whitney! I took this as a sign that the boat trip was going to be awesome. Snorkeling was nice although Marc and Laura were not impressed since they had spent time at the Great Barrier Reef less than a month ago. The main attraction was being able to cool off for a second in the water.

A beautiful lunch was prepared on the stern of the boat, on the deck right next to the bathroom. In preparation for lunch we lined the edges of the boat in order for the crew to fold the middle seats down into a communal table. During lunch I was overwhelmed by the generosity and kindness displayed by all the Vietnamese people on the boat (our family comprised five of the 9 Westerners on the boat). Plates and plates of food were being passed our direction. It seemed everyone was looking out for us, making sure we were having a good time and getting enough to eat. Or, maybe they were just trying to make sure the “big big” Americans didn’t get irritable.

After lunch, the plates were cleared and out came the band (young crew members of the boat). The drum set consisted of rusted metal frames with a duct tape face. The electric guitar had a surfer sound to it and at the end of each intro I was expecting to hear “Wipe Out.” And of course, there was a tambourine. What was once our dining table now turned into the dance floor/stage. The boat crew and guests all joined in for a karaoke extravaganza! The jam session alone was worth the $5.

After the show it was time for a dip and they were serving wine on the floating bar (a piece of dirty Styrofoam). Only there was one problem… the toilet was being drained and its contents (Baby Ruth's and all) were floating by where we wanted to jump into the water. Most of the people on the boat either didn’t seem to mind or didn’t notice, but I wasn’t too thrilled about diving into a bunch of poop. Luckily, Marc gave me the push I needed and I was in the water before I could even blurt out some obscenities. I made sure I kept my mouth shut and swam as fast as I could away from the boat. I guess that is what family is for! Marc and Laura were close behind and between the three of us we were able to choke down the wine that tasted like cough medicine. (It was very similar to Boone’s… a local Dalat Mulberry wine.)

After returning from the boat trip it was time for some much needed beer from the micro brewery we had tested out the night before. As we were sipping our fresh, cold beer, the topic of dinner came up. Someone suggested lobster from the stand on the sidewalk across the street from the beach. I had never had lobster before and figured this was the best place to try it—a lobster and 2 beers were under $10. As we approached the “restaurant” we saw two of the friends, locals, we had made on the boat earlier that day. He told us the food was excellent and made sure the chef knew we were his friends so he would treat us right. I got to pick my lobster out of the bowl of live lobsters. It was weighed and thrown onto the grill (a pan on the ground filled with coal covered by a wire rack. The coal was kept hot by women who were fanning it with large leaves). We took our seats on the playschool furniture that is becoming all too familiar and everybody else agreed that this was the biggest lobster they had ever eaten. If you are wondering how I liked my first lobster, let’s just say I had to catch myself before I instinctively reached for a dime sized piece that had fallen to the sidewalk below. And, I was overcome with joy when Laura announced that she found a hiding place for more meat in one of the larger legs.

With full bellies, we made our way back to the hotel to rest for our bus ride to Da Lat in the morning. A surprisingly wonderful day in Nha Trang reminded me that even though first impressions are usually right, everyone (and everywhere) deserves a second chance.