Saturday 07 November 2015

Going to work on an egg……..This should be a day of leisure and I’m looking forward to the buffet breakfast at La Mer, but when I eventually get to the restaurant it’s hardly a buffet. You still have to order your egg and bread roll. Ok coffee, tea and fruit juice is help yourself and there is some fruit which looks like somebody’s leftovers. OK let’s go for a stroll after breakfast.
Song Cai River……..The Song Cai River divides the city of Nha Trang with the district to the north where La Mer Hotel is located. I decide to walk the 2km even though there’s a bus service I can use. Two bridges cross the river in the area as this reaches the sea. Here are moorings for fishing boats. On the far, southern bank is the city with its high rise hotels and busy streets but I hadn’t planned to cross over. Instead, off to my right on a temple mount is an old structure and I head there.

Thap Ba Ponagar……..Thap Ba Ponagar is listed as a local attraction but I’ve no idea what it’s about. On arrival I realise it has some significance as there is an entrance fee. On closer inspection I realise this is an ancient temple which has been carefully restored. I see immediately Hindu influence in its design and purpose. This means something to me from previous visits to sites in Thailand, Cambodia and Laos but initially I can find nothing in English to confirm its age, then at the rear of the temple is an information room. Again all the exhibits are in Vietnamese only, as if no other nation is interested. I’m interested and thank goodness there as just one board in both English and Vietnamese. But the one board is all I need at the moment. The temple dates from between the 8th and 13th centuries during the Champa Kingdoms. The Cham were fierce rivals of the Khmer Kingdoms of Angkor. Although the design of this temple is different the Hindu influence is the same. In the information room there are black and white photos of the temple before it was restored. They could date back to late 19th century before Nha Trang was developed. Looking at the photos then with the bay in the background it’s incredible to see how the skyline has changed in a hundred years or so and I wouldn’t say it was for the better. OK so much for a relaxing day. It’s been anything but so far. I’m for heading back but Katoon would like to go into the city and swords are crossed once more. It’s hot, very hot and I’m not for making this a hard day. Things settle down when Katoon has eaten her jungle food but I’m in no mood for that and give up lunch for today. It’s been a lot of energy expended unnecessarily when the bus could have dropped us off right by the temple. OK I’ll settle for a beer and an afternoon nap.

Dinner in the city……..At 4pm I decide to go for a swim in the ocean. Well strictly it’s a sea, the South China Sea and that’s a first. La Mer Hotel provides its own sun beds and umbrellas but at the moment it’s clouded over. When I do make a splash I find rocks under foot. We are near the rocky outcrop here so I try moving more centrally in the bay with more success. By this time with evidence of rubbish in the water and on the beach I’m not including this bay in my favorites list. So what is on my list for the rest of the day?
I can’t put off going into the city indefinitely so now seems a good time. Bus 04 runs past my hotel and into the city so let’s see where it goes. As it enters the city streets I lose my orientation. By the time it rejoins the coastal road it’s too late. I’ll just look around now for some dinner. That’s not difficult. The area is dominated with hotels and restaurants, most of them offering seafood of incredible variety. I mentioned earlier that many Russians use this resort city. I hadn’t quite realised that they practically own it. English is very much a minority language here. I order fried grouper and pork curry. The latter is amazing. I’ve never eaten a curry before that doesn’t taste like curry or anything else for that matter. But the grilled fish is wonderful and comes in a rich soy sauce. If I put some sauce with the curry then it’s not too bad. I mentioned the beer as being incredibly cheap here. Add to that, local rum with a variety of flavour options. Let’s have a go for the pineapple. A half litre is less than $2. I’ll have a crack at that later. There’s no need to stay in the city now but I hadn’t realised that the buses stop at 7.00pm. I’ve missed the last one so it’s back in a taxi. Back at La Mer it’s a late night as I follow @Hereford FC on twitter and Radio Hereford FC till midnight. It is worth it as Hereford overcome Rocester to regain top spot in the Midland League Premier Division. Outside the hotel it’s raining hard as I call it a day. Next Page.