Nha Trang - the real post

This blog host site is not letting me review past posts and doingother strange things, so kindly forgive me if my repeat myself or strange-looking posts!

The journey from Bangkok to Siem Reap in Cambodia was very long, but we had a breakdown and spent time in a garage on the way. Three Ukraine guys got fed up with the bus and hired a taxi for 30 dollarsbetween them and got to Siem Reap 3 hours before us. We got there at 10pm, it should have been 7pm or earlier! Angkor Wat is truly one ofthe wonders of the world - up there with the pyramids of Egypt and (inmy opinion), easily eclipsing the Taj Mahal.

So, after Angkor Wat, it was down by bus to Pnomh Penh, capital of Cambodia and then by boat to Saigon. Then from Saigon it was a verycomfortable and clean sleeper train up to Hoi An. Seventeen hours,though. Not sure why I went to Hoi An, it just seemed to be on the tourist trail, I was a tourist, so I didn't question it.

The most interesting thing about Hoi An is that its name is an anagram of Hanoi.

I wandered about for an hour or two obediently looking at the'sights'(tedious Japanese bridge, tedious old house, another tediousoldhouse) until I realised the foolishness of it all and went back tothe hotel and asked for the first bus out of the place. North? No,back south. Sight-seeing was becoming a real bore and decided I needed to 'do' omething other than just observing.

I had regretted that I'd missedout on learning to scuba dive in Thailand and didn't realise I coulddo it in Vietnam at Nha Trang. I now found out that I could, though going to Nha Trang involved a 12-hour backtrack on my journeyback theway I'd just come. The next day found me signed up for a 3-day PADI Open Water Divercourse at NhaTrang( on the coast up from Saigon). The scuba crowd werefriendly, even though a bunch of 20-somethings talking about getting pissed, pulling birds etc etc

The PADI cert now lets me dive unsuperivised anywhere in the world. I was pleased tofind that my tired, addled brain was keeping ahead of the20-somethings when doing the exams etc, even helping the examiner workout the answers to the decompression time questions. The scuba course has been very satisfying.

Man cannot live onsight-seeing alone - involvement, doing, action, etc is needed to feel connected. I now believe that cuttle fish come from outer space!

Well, I think my time here is drawing to a close, so may have to tearmyself away from the beach and head up to Hanoi. It was cold up there recently, according to traveller reports.

The hotel receptionist here introduced me to his aunt, Huong. She's here on holiday from Saigon. We've been getting on well (despite theEnglish being a struggle for her) and if she can get the time off work, may be keeping me company up to Hanoi. Have to see - it would certainly be good to have a travel companion for a change....