Wifi Challenged

Sorry that it has been a while since my last update. I have been moving about more than I like and consequently I have been internet challenged. I am now in Nha Trang on the coast of Vietnam. How I got here is a pretty long story and I will give a few details below.

Let me start with the good stuff. Remember my New Years Eve blog? I happened to meet a tour guide from Saigon late in the afternoon of that day and since he had no plans to celebrate the new year we met for dinner that night. We went to an outdoor street restaurant near my hotel and then joined more than 1.5 million celebrants to watch fireworks over the Mekong River at midnight. It was hot and crowded and one of those things that I am happy to have done once and would not like to do again.

The next day was New Years and he showed me the flower street which was closed to traffic (that in itself is a reason for joy) and filled with diplays of all kind of flowers many in the theme of tigers since this is the year of the tiger. You are supposed to wear new clothes on New Years day so see my fashion shots below. Walking around we found 3 troops of dragon dancers and that is something I have dreamed of seeing for years and now I can check it off my bucket list. These groups were made up of about 20 men who wore elaborate dragon costumes and danced, tumbled, somersaulted, leaped, teased to the beat of drums, cymbals and gongs. I have to say it was one of the most thrilling experiences of my life.

Later in the day my new friend Hong invited me to his family's home for their new year celebration. We went by motorbike ( him driving and me as the passenger more than a little scared most of the time) and I took a beautiful cake which I bought in a French bakery near my hotel. Everyone there greeted me warmly in varying degrees of English. All the children expected small amounts of "lucky money". There being no furniture in their living room we all sat on the floor and played cards before dinner was served on a cloth spread in the middle of the floor. It was a National Geographic moment.

Since it was the Tet holiday and Hong had no tours scheduled he offered to travel north with me to Mui Ne and Nha Trang, both beach towns in central Vietnam. We booked a hotel in Mui Ne and then searched and found a bus to go there the next day. The difficulty in booking both hotel and bus should have been an indication that things were going to be really crowded. Well we arrived in Mui Ne and found the hotel we had booked was very far from town so we decided to leave there and travel on to our second destination of Nha Trang. Fortunately we got 2 seats the following day on the train. The best seats we could get were "hard seats, air conditioned". On both counts I can report complete truth in advertising.

So here we are in Nha Trang. Our plan was to stay here for a few days and I would proceed to Hanoi and onward to Laos and Hong would return to Ho Chi Minh City. Who knew that every all modes of transport would be full even a week after Tet so now I am returning to Saigon also and from there I will head east to Cambodia.

So far the greatest of my culture shocks has been that almost every business in Vietnam seems to have shut down for Tet and all the people are on vacation. Hotels, trains and buses are full and today we went in search of a supermarket and even it is closed. Maybe these people need to talk to Walmart.

Two of the most unusual things I have eaten since last report are the stalks from gladiola flowers and some leaves that look just like the ivy growing in my backyard. I have taken the great leap of faith and begun to have ice in my drinks (It's just soooo hot!) and I am eating salads. All the food is very tasty and I have had no ill effects.

Photos

1-A National Geographic moment. New Years dinner in Saigon.

2-4 New Years fashions

5-7 Dragon dancing