Facing the Dragon - Chapter 8

After an early rise, I make my way directly to the water. Today will be spent at sea boating and snorkeling.

I walk across the dock to get to the boat through a mini market filled with people selling everything from water to fruit to fishing bait. There is adequate opportunity here for every boater to equip themselves with the supplies needed for a day on the open water. Two women accompany us on the boat for the sole purpose of giving us manicures, pedicures and massages. The cost is 1$ per service. This is a pleasant, yet peculiar surprise.

As we make our way out from the shore, I am immediately drawn to the water and its aquamarine color. Glancing up from the water, the beauty in the horizon is all the more stunning as our boat moves farther and farther away from shore and the surrounding hills come in full view. As I sit and stare into the abyss, Sebastian taps me on the shoulder and asks me what I think about the girls on the boat. I smirk and say, “It is nice having women on the boat to give us massages.” He nods and laughs, and says “Chris, I got a massage last night that was absolutely wonderful. You really need to get one at some point during the trip.” Sebastian rises, chuckles and slaps me on the back as he walks away, remarking “Whatever the price is, if you want some extras, tip them at least 5 dollars.” I laugh to myself and wonder whether Sebastian’s remark is based on hearsay or firsthand experience. If I was a betting man, I would go with the latter.

After 45 minutes cruising out to sea, we arrive at some fluorescent green patches of coral. The captain tosses out the anchor, indicating to us that we will be snorkeling in this area. I am not really a man of the sea, but there would have been no reason for me to board this boat if I wasn’t going to get in the water and take a gander at what was floating around. I put on my fins, mask and snorkel and jump in the water. During the hour that I linger in the warm water, I see many colorful fish in addition to pretty blue coral. One of the fish is long and yellow and has the shape of a ruler with a pointy ending. The visibility is good as the water is very clear. The only thing I haven’t enjoyed is the rather large gulp of seawater I swallowed. It is easy to see how a few mouthfuls of seawater could result in a distressing and potentially fatal ending.

Upon returning to the boat, I sit down and relax while perusing through my guidebook. One of the women seems to be looking at me intently and smiling every time I glance in her direction. She asks me repeatedly if I am interested in a massage. After being asked numerous times, I decide to take her up on her offer. However, instead of a massage, I opt for a pedicure and manicure. I would like a massage but decide against getting one in such a small, public setting in full view of everyone else on the boat. I don’t want to tempt myself and don’t entirely trust myself either. After she finishes with the manicure and pedicure, it is time for lunch. I am all the more famished as I have been staring squarely at the captain cutting up all sorts of fresh seafood while my hands and feet were being attended to.

After so many meals in Vietnam, there is no reason for me to be surprised by the amazing creations one can make with two small mounds of charcoal and a few woks. Yet, I am still amazed. The captain, who also serves as the chef, and another cook dressed in nothing but bikini shorts stir fry fresh prawns, cuttlefish, and various different types of whitefish and vegetables to my delight. The fresh prawns are delicious and the vegetable and cuttlefish stir fry makes everyone very happy. Other things we enjoy include a fish stew cooked in tomato sauce, a fresh green bean salad, French bread and fresh fruit.

Our boat captain is an energetic, unique character. His constant joking seems to bother a few people, but it has made the trip more enjoyable. He seems to have an affinity for my things as he had my watch on earlier and now has my shoes on. He is really enamored with my aqua socks that he has on his feet. I would like to offer them to him as a gift but I think I will need them again in the coming days.

We arrive back in Nha Trang in the mid-afternoon. Fortunately, there is still enough time for me to explore the city. Rather than head back towards the hotel for a rest in my room or by the hotel pool, I decide that a tour of the city sounds more exciting to me. I see the cyclo driver that I was approached by yesterday on the street in front of our hotel. He recognizes me as I walk up and minutes later, I am climbing aboard his cyclo. As we speed away in the direction of the Long Son Pagoda, I think to myself that the cyclo drivers and street hawkers seem to be a lot less persistent the farther we move away from Saigon.

The huge White Buddha seated on the hillside above the Long Son pagoda in the northwest of town is Nha Trang's major landmark. It was built in 1963 to symbolize the Buddhist struggle against the repressive Diem regime, and around its lotus-shaped pedestal are carved images of the monks and nuns that set fire to themselves in protest.

Stone gate-posts topped by white orchids mark the entrance to the pagoda. Inside the pagoda, an impressive 700 hundred kilogram bronze Buddha stands at the head of the altar. After paying homage to the Buddha inside the pagoda, I walk around the outside of the pagoda to find the 152 step staircase that ends at the White Buddha. I stretch my legs and climb up all 152 steps accompanied by two 16 year old girls who use their excellent English to joke and flirt with me. Of course, this means that I have to buy some post cards from them, but their company is worth a few dong. They, like many male and female Vietnamese that I meet, are interested in my dating status. These two girls tell me that I should come back to Nha Trang for my honeymoon.

Returning from the pagoda to my cyclo driver, I encounter a mother holding her infant child out to me and offering a coke for sale. I don’t know what to do. I buy a coke from her and in return she offers me her child to hold. Both of the girls with me, in addition to the mother, seem to take delight in seeing me hold the child. All I feel is uncomfortable. While the child is cute, I don’t know why I was handed the baby in the first place. The child is hanging onto my Rough Guide to Vietnam book as tightly as I am clutching onto her. After handing the baby back to her mother, I jump back on my cyclo.

The last stop on this short tour is the impressive Nha Trang Cathedral. Mass is in session when I arrive and I am lucky enough to hear the entire congregation chanting what I believe to be the “Our Father” in Vietnamese. Given all of the Buddhist temples I have seen over the last few days, it is almost weird to see a Catholic mass, which I am much familiar with, in session.

I have more seafood for dinner as I eat beachside with some of my fellow travelers. The food, beer and scenery all create a relaxing atmosphere. One of my fellow travelers, Michael, is talked into buying a t-shirt off of a quick-thinking woman who engages in conversation with us. This talkative woman gives new definition to the term hard-working.

After Michael shows interest in a particular T-shirt, she goes through her bag and realizes that she does not have the extra large size that he has requested. She tells him that she will be back in a few minutes with a shirt that will fit him perfectly. It must have been nearly a mile that she ran as she was gone for over 20 minutes. When she arrives back with the T-shirt in hand, she is breathing heavily. At this point, it is impossible for Michael to decline purchasing the shirt after seeing the hard work this woman was willing to put in to make a sale.

Over the course of our conversation with this woman, she is able to answer some questions regarding a topic that has puzzled me for some time. Ever since I arrived in Vietnam, I have noticed sealed plastic bags full of water on almost every table that I sit at. Now, I finally understand why they are there. It seems that many people use a plastic bag full of water as a deterrent against pesky flies. When a fly encounters a bag of water, it sees its own reflection and flies away in fear. While a plastic bag of water isn’t the most attractive centerpiece, it is cost effective and necessary, as the heat and humidity brings many insects with it.