Nha Trang and Jungle Beach... Again... With Emma and Mikaela

I arrived in Nha Trang (again) at 6 am. Emma and Mikaela's bus arrived at about the same time, and after checking into our hotel we walked to the Rainbow Diver's office to book a snorkeling trip for the day. We had a quick breakfast then piled into a van with a dozen other people and headed to the docks.

We cruised for 30 minutes before arriving at the first dive spot. Of the 15 or so people on the trip 10 were scuba diving and the rest of us were snorkeling. We had an hour at the first spot, and although the waves were big we still enjoyed ourselves. We saw many more types of fish than in Phu Quoc, however the water was deeper so the colors were more muted. There also weren't sea urchins, which I had found really cool in Phu Quoc.

Pic: 1. First dive location 2. Emma and I on the boat

 

The divers came back up after 45 minutes and 15 minutes later we left for the second spot. The second spot was a little more shallow and the water a lighter turquoise color (maybe because the sun was higher in the sky), however the long overnight bus rides caught up to us so after 30 minutes of snorkeling we went back to the boat. We jumped off the roof into the ocean for a while, then settled down to some cards and sunbathing.

Pics: Snorkeling at the second spot 2. Me sprawled out on the roof sleeping

We got back to port around 1 and got dropped back in town. We had lunch, then went to the beach. In the evening we went to dinner at the Swiss- Italian place that I had gone to with Annika, then went to Why Not? bar for some drinks. We met a pair of British guys and played some cards, then met a group of German girls who came with us to a big party on a beach behind the Sailing Club. There was a large stage set up with a dj performing; it was a really good time. We danced the night away and got home late.

Pic: Miki, Emma, the other German girls, and I at Why Not?

On Sunday morning we woke up early and were picked up by the shuttle bus to Jungle Beach (again). 2 German girls, Ani and Jana, were picked up at the same time. We arrived at Jungle Beach in the early afternoon and relaxed on the beach for the rest of the day. We managed to get the same bungalow as I had with Annika, which was really cool. Fin and Tina, a German couple who was at Jungle Beach the prior weekend, were still there but everyone else had cleared out. Fin and Tina had only planned on staying for a couple days and ended up staying 10. Sylvio said that he had long awaited the slow season, which apparently started then, because it had been a busy year.

Pics: 1. Jungle Beach 2. Fin and Tina looking at the ocean during the final hour of daylight

In the late afternoon the monkeys in the mountain were being really active so I watched them through the telescope. Then I went to the beach and watched the sunset until dinner. After dinner we played a rousing game of Jenga, which Fin and Tina said became a tradition since Annika and I left, and had a bonfire on the beach and looked at the starlit sky.

Pics: 1. Watching the monkeys 2. JENGA

Monday we did almost nothing. I started reading White Fang and we alternated between laying on the beach, swimming, and laying in the shade in the recreation area inside the resort. Emma and I got Fin and Jana to play volleyball with us, we got a little sandy...

In the afternoon while we were sitting in our hammocks we heard a crack then a thud. I went to investigate and saw that a coconut fell out of a palm tree. I was thirsty, so I took it over to our bungalow and slammed it on the concrete lip of our patio until it cracked and the juice started flowing...

In the evening a storm started to come in right around sunset. It was coming from the North, so it was a little bit cooler than other nights. For a while though half the sky was blue with a few scattered pink clouds and the other half was dark storm clouds made an orange-pink from the setting sun; it looked really cool. 

A couple of local guys saw me taking pictures and yelled for me to come over while holding up a watermelon. I obliged, and shared the watermelon with them. Then they whipped out a shot glass and asked me to take a shot of rice wine. I hesitantly agreed, and they pulled out a plastic bag full of the clear liquid. Never before have I seen liquor poured from a plastic bag, so I was a little worried, but felt like I couldn't walk away from it because it would be insulting. It actually tasted pretty good, so I ended up doing a few rounds with them. We always toasted: Mot, Hai, Ba, YO!!! which means 1, 2, 3 CHEERS!!! 

We played Jenga again after dinner, followed by a card game that we taught everyone. Then we had a small ping pong tournament. We also made plans to hike up to the waterfall the next morning.

On Tuesday we woke up early to have breakfast so that we would be hiking while it was still somewhat cool out. This plan backfired a little as that it was already 85 F at 9 am. We arrived at the waterfall at 10, and I immediately climbed up to jump (so that I wouldn't chicken out like last time). Emma, Fin, and Tina all jumped as well, each of us about 3 times. Then Fin discovered a scorpion in the water and we decided it was time to go... 

Wednesday we laid on the beach until leaving Jungle Beach at 2. We got a room in a cheap hotel, and an Austrian woman named Betina, who left Jungle Beach with us, shared it with us because the room had 4 beds. We went out to an INCREDIBLE Indian dinner, then walked around for a little before going to bed. 

Pics: 1. Batina, Emma, Miki, and I at the Omar's Indian Cafe 2. Final picture of our trio

Thursday we sat on the beach all day long and didn't do much of anything. My bus to Da Nang wasn't leaving until 7, so in the evening we had a final dinner together... but at the last second before the bus was going to leave the girls, who had all along planned on staying for Thursday night, convinced me to stay as well. I changed my ticket to the following day and we went out. We went to a bar that was promoting itself with free mojitos, then to Why Not? bar where on the way we met another Swedish guy who had lived in Santa Rosa for a couple years. He joined us for Why Not? as well as the Sailing Club, which we went to later to dance. 

We slept in the next morning, then went to the beach for one last time. The Swedes and I took a picture on the beach to remember the peak of our tans...

In the evening we had Indian food again (because it was just that good and we're a bit tired of Vietnamese) and at 7 I went to the bus stop to catch the bus to Da Nang.