Nha Trang - Vietnam

The Statue of the huge seated White Buddha at the Long Son Pagoda. To get here you have to climb 152 steps, and you have to be fit! This gives you an excellent birds eye view of Nha Trang.

It was erected in 1963 and dedicated to the Monks who gave their lives protesting against President Diem's corrupt regime in the early 1960s.


Hello Again form the South China Sea,.............

On Mothering Sunday 14 March Arcadia was at anchor in Nha Trang, enjoying perfect boating conditions and balmy weather.

Nha Trang is the capital city of Khanh Hoa province and is located on the South China Sea in south east Vietnam. The population is 340,000 and the city is one of Vietnam’s premiere resorts, renowned for its long beaches and amenable climate.

Nha Trang was one of the ten major air bases operated by the United States Air Force during the Vietnam War. At its peak as many as 40,000 troops were based here and the city was a popular recreation place for battle – weary American GIs. In 1971 the Americans withdrew from the airbase and a month after the North Vietnamese captured the city on the 1 April.

Modern Nha Trang is rapidly developing into a major beach resort and there will soon be a high speed rail link connecting the town with Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.

Vietnam is twice the size of Tunisia and similar in area to Malaysia. The Deer Hunter (1978), Apocalypse Now (1979) and Platoon (1986) are just three of the many films about the Vietnam War.

At the port gate we discovered the National Oceanographic Institute and Aquarium. The twenty tanks in the Aquarium contain live fish and there is also a large collection of stuffed fish and sea birds.

This is a Stone Fish commonly found in these waters swimming by the reefs. Its attractive colour is actually a warning as its spines are particularly poisonous.

The entrance to the Long Son Pagoda which is the largest Pagoda in this province. You know I love my Grand Entrances.....................

This is the view from the Xom Bong Bridge showing in the distance the Po Nagar Cham Towers which are one and a half miles north of the city centre on the other side of the Cai River.

In the foreground of this picture you can see the house boats that the fishermen use, decorated in their traditional colours of blue and red.

Yet another GRAND ENTRANCE and MORE steps!!!........to the Po Nagar Cham Towers. These Towers are the best preserved in Vietnam and were built between the 8th and 12th Centuries AD when this region was part of an early Hindu Empire.

There is an amazing feeling of peace at the Towers as they are still used on a daily basis for worship. The smell of incense hangs heavily in the air........

The Towers are surrounded by small but beautiful gardens with plentiful seating so that you can take in the atmosphere, while pausing to reflect and refresh your soul.

Here you can see some of the intricate carvings on the Towers of Hindu Gods and Goddesses.

This is the main Nha Trang Beach totally open to the public and the local people like to come and swim in the shark free waters at weekends!!! The Beach front is lined with shady parks and a wide promenade.

This is one of the local beauty spots. This flower in the foreground is a frangipani.

The is an example of a traditional house with lovely bougainvillea growing in the garden. The sides of the house all open - like french doors - Vietnamese air conditioning!!

This is the Nha Trang Arts and Crafts Centre where beautiful young woman were weaving and embroidering the most amazing silk embroidery pictures.

This young lady is one of the most skilled embroiderers. Working closely with her skilled needle under artificial light she is embroidering a wonderful representation of exotic flowers. She was more than happy to have her photograph taken.

These are the local guides who take you round the Arts and Craft Centre. They are dressed in their colourful local costume and 'coolie' hats. Our passengers bought loads of these hats - they sold like hot cakes! Hot hats! They are ideal for shading your head in the hot sun.

Dam Market is situated in the centre of Nha Trang and is a hive of bustle and activity. Nha Trang has only one modern supermarket as everybody prefers to shop on a daily basis at the market buying their food as fresh as can be from the local traders. This is the Nha Trang equivalent of the butchers' counter in your local supermarket!! What happens is, you choose your bird live, the lady then wrings its neck in front of you and passes it to her colleague sitting behind. She then plunges the bird into a vat of boiling water, removes it and plucks it and then it is almost oven ready for you to take home.

At the end of the day any duck that survives is taken back to the farm. All the ducks looked in good condition and appeared to be enjoying their ride.

The city has a choice if different cuisines, but not surprisingly with a fishing fleet on the door step, sea food and fish dishes are especially popular. Tiger Shrimps are a local favourite and Vietnam is renowned for its sauces especially Nuoc Mam ( a fish based sauce) and Mam and Mam Tom ( shrimp sauce). There are many Restaurants along the sea front ( Tran Phau Boulevard), including the large resort Hotels offering Vietnamese and International dishes.

Street Stalls are very popular with the locals as noodles, rice dishes and soups are much cheaper than in restaurants.

A feast for your eyes and your palate......................everyone loved their day - certainly one to cherish.

Tan biet - (good bye from Vietnam)

James

Had I the heavens' embroidered cloths,

Enwrought with golden and silver light, ..............................

W.B. Yates - from 'He wishes for the Cloths of Heaven' written in 1899.