Dah Da Dah... headed down the highway

What an amazing sitght!! I am standing here and seeing for the first time,  an ocean that is as flat as a mirror. As usual, a breeze has picked up and I meissed the photo…

Drifter checked in and we made our introductions. We hit it off right away and decided that a tour around the city was in order. I was in the mood to do some exploring, and he was interested in familiarizing himself with the city. Sooooooo off we went, to big men on a motorbike with a basket to carry puffy things. We must have been a sight, maneuvering down tight alleyways into areas that see no westerners. We stopped for a few photos along the way and spent a pleasant afternoon going places that many will never see. The evening ended with us sitting in the front door, acknowledging all of the beautiful smiles that came our way and occasionally having to catch each others attention to point out something the other may have missed. A couple of days were spent this way and after Drifter became comfortable with the traffic it was time for a ROAD TRIP!!

road side rest stop

Drifter served in the Cam Ranh area about 45 Kilometers south of NhaTrang. We decided we would go for a drive in the area and see some of his old stomping grounds. I had not been there before, so it was a good chance to increase my knowledge of the area. As we were heading out of NhaTrang onto a beautiful highway that runs along the mountains to the Cam Ranh Airport. Drifter elected to drive Li’l sissy and I rode on Puffy. Well!!….. we were not even at the city limits when Puffy started to act up. For no reason I lost my clutch in 4^th gear. If I put the throttle up all I could do in increase the engine speed…. Hmmmmm. I stopped and again moved forward shifting through all the

Seaside seafood BBQ

gears. Whatever happened was a mystery. It has not happened since. I was a bit nervous however, as the new road we were travelling has very little in the way of services to be had. My fear was for not and on we continued. 

The road to Cam Ranh airport is new is very scenic. After leaving NhaTrang it winds around a mountain and then follows the edge of other mountains. Here we pass the newly built Diamond Bay resort. The resort was host to the 2008 miss universe pagent and is quite the facility. It can host very large events and is currently adding an 18 hole golf course along the Oceanside. I can see it becoming a very popular destination in the near future, but now we

the white sands of the peninsula

 continue down the road. It is a beautiful and quiet drive with the ocean on one side, the mountain on the other. We weave along until the spectacular sight of The peninsula and the white sands of long beach. As we travel down from the mountain to the flat sandy peninsula we can see a series for structured built on the beach front with tranquil blue waters. These are a series of BBQ seafood restaurants. People I have talked to rave about them and one day I will visit, but for now, Drifter and I just rode in for a look. After a short conversation with a local woman about the food, we continued on towards Cam Ranh Bay. We pass the soon to be international airport, and reach the yip of the peninsula. Here there are military basses and installations that are limiting our exploration. There is a

A sign in front or the interesting building I wanted to see

beautiful building in the distance I would like to check out, but the no photo signs say it all…. Oh… I include a photo of it from a distance. Drifter starts to tell me stories of the area and the adventures of a 19 year old kid posted here. We cross the same bridge he crossed many times in the past and stopped on the other side to take a photo of some oyster farms. And then from a steep hill beside the ocean we are spotted by some Vietnamese fisher women. They came scrambling up the hill and started chattering at us. They were surprised that we both had some

a cool looking building

 basic Vietnamese skills, and I started things off by telling the women that I was married, but Drifter was available. Well, well, well….. I was able to quickly let them know that a second wife was not in the cards for me, and got to enjoy how Drifter was the center of attention. After a little good fun we continued on and arrived in Cam Ranh city. We lunched and went for a drive through some of the small streets and lanes that I am sure has never been stepped on by a westerner.  Much like a trail ride,

the bridge to Cam Ranh

we bumped and grinded our way along until finally emerging back to highway 1.

Driving on the Main highway that runs the length of the country is not for the feint of heart. I can honestly say that driving on the highway is way more dangerous than negotiating city traffic. The road is 2 lanes and shared by large busses and trucks that will mot yield for anything. They will pass each other in the most dangerous of places, forcing the vehicle onto the shoulder lane where you are likely driving. A person has to watch everywhere all the time. It took an hour and a half to run the gauntlet back to NhaTrang. As we approached NhaTrang we turned down the wrong road in our efforts to go in the back way. By now or old butts were hurting and even though there were some interesting sights, It was time to head home. We did find the back road and almost to the city….. Puffy started to huff and puff. It was like riding a bucking bronco. I powered down, and then re-accelerated. The problem disappeared….. hmmmm Something is afoot!! At least Li’l sissy did us proud.

insert fisherwomen chasing us here

As drifter now knows, my memory can be a bit bad, so….. Drifter!! If you read these next few posts of our adventures and have something to add…… please do. I do not think there is a limit on the comment section.

Tomorrow guess what!!!! Another road trip!!!

Now,some of my friends are in a castle celebrating New year back home… My thoughts are with you guys.

I am posting a quick blog tonight as I am off on another road trip tomorrow morning. I lazily asked my nephew how long a drive it was on Li’l sissy to drive to a mountain city called Dalat. His head perked up excitedly at me asking this innocent question. Him and I are now going to brave a mountain highway and spend Saturday driving in country to Dalat, an older resort city built up in the mountains by the French when they occupied the country. Maybe It will make for a good story…. The Adventure continues…..

Let me tell you a little about NhaTrang. I have probably spoken a bit about it in the past, but I will go into a bit of detail. NhaTrang itself is not a very large city. It looks and feels like one, especially with the surrounding communities added in. There is not however, no real shopping centers or supermarkets. It is a city of hotels, beaches and fun. There are 2 beaches. One beach runs for almost the entire length of the city, and another smaller bay on the north side of the river. There is a back-packer area where almost all of the foreign tourists stay and never leave. Many of the foreign residents are also in this area. Any food type you can get at home is available here. Except for maybe Chinese food….. Huh.. isn’t that strange?

The city is a wealth of coffee shops, bars, and good food establishments. If you are a seafood lover, here is where it is at. I have eaten some very bizarre seafood here, but it has all been good. After a hard day of work, the locals will head for a few hours of romance, good eating, and fun. The bars and café’s outside the tourist area are alive with excitement and action. At around 10 pm, most of the locals are home getting ready for the next days work. Some however, will drift to the night clubs and bars that do not start getting customers until 9 or 10. Then NhaTrang rocks!! There is the bar scene, the pretty boys and girls in their fashion clothing. You can find a club with good times and drinks as cheap as fifty cents a bottle, or splurge at the most expensive ocean side nightclub for 3.50 for the same beer. The law is that everything must close at 12:00, however, there are a few exceptions that seem to be able to stay open. Probably greasing the wheel a bit I think. There is a community of about 1000 foreigners here. Many of them have a similar story. They came for a holiday, fell in love with the city, and never left. Others are here because their pension dollar can go a long way. There used to be an airport in town, but that has been closed. A person now has to fly in to Cam Ranh Bay, a 30 to 40 minute ride. A taxi that distance can run 15-20 dollars. Myself, I will take the train from now on. It was not an unpleasant trip last time. Get a sleeper car, it is a little bit more but at 15.00 or so, it is worth the extra comfort.

You will find a plethora of hotels to choose from. The Yasaka, Vin Pearl resort, and the brand new Sheraton are world class hotels, costing hundreds of dollars a night. There are small Guesthouses hidden down quiet dark alleys that can be had for 5.00 a night, and everything in between. There are hotels in all areas. You may elect to stay in the high tourist areas, or stay more in the real NhaTrang where there is still lots to see and do, but a different flavor.

There is probably a lot more I could say but I am sure details will get filled in future blogs.

As one final thought……   I will have to do a piece on the girls and boys of Vietnam. I just finished Yahoo chatting with a sweet and wonderful young woman I know. She has left me in high spirits. Grrrrrrrr!!! If I was 22 there is no way she could run fast enough to get away from me..  But Alas….. I love my wife, and I am way to old for that kind of action. I truley hope she can find a man who thinks she is as special as I think she is.