I walked in the opposite direction from yesterday, and again I spotted hundreds of people doing their exercises. This group of woman were colourfully dressed and practising a dance routine.
I’ve mentioned before that Mick loves maps. Using the ‘sketch’ (definitely not a map) provided by the hotel, he assured me he could get us to the Dam Market, Nha Trang’s main market area. I thought it looked a little too far to walk, but Google Maps said it was 1.9km, and we both thought we were up for that.
I decided not to get a SIM card on this trip, and so far it has been satisfactory to rely on free WIFI. Even our bus had it and most buildings provide access for free. However, when walking around the streets where I would normally use Google Maps, I have to rely more heavily on Mick Maps!
What turns a 1.9km walk into a challenge in Nha Trang, and Vietnam in general, are the hazards encountered every few steps. Footpaths here are used for parking bikes and cars, setting up street stalls or cafes, and for enjoying a meal. But this was a first for us. We spotted a row of barbers set up on our walk to Dam Market.
The first barber was giving his customer a shave with a cut throat razor.
I counted six men, each with a seat for his customer, and a mirror attached to the brick wall. The very last barber was performing some clever cutting techniques to provide his young customer with a very cool look.
Many of the concrete pavers used here to make the footpaths are seriously damaged. It looks like they have crumbled under the weight of a car or a truck that has driven over them at some stage. This adds a degree of difficulty to any walk. Our ankles and knees are aching by the end of the day from negotiating the trip hazards.
Definitely worth a close up shot of the base of this tree taking up the full width of the footpath. And very typically, a car parked next to it, making it harder to walk on the sloping gutter.
Every step though is interesting – something to look at and discuss. So a 1.9km walk takes us much longer than Google Maps had suggested.
After about 30 minutes, we arrived at our destination. Mick was on the lookout for a few t-shirts, regretting he did not buy more in Mũi Né.
It didn’t take long for us to be ‘spotted’ and we found we had a new friend. A Vietnamese gentleman who could speak way more English than we could speak Vietnamese wanted to show us around. Politely we told him we were “just looking”, but that did not stop him from following us into every stall, or even as we tried to run away.
We spotted a couple having the wedding photos taken in the streets of Dam Market, and it was odds on that Mick would try to ‘photo bomb’ them.
I wondered why a couple would pick this location to record their special day, considering there is a very beautiful beach about 1km away. The apartment complex in the back of the photo is a local residential area.
It was not the shopping experience we were looking for, mainly because we felt pressured by our new friend. So, using “Mick’s Maps”, we headed for Nha Trang Center, where we had a well-earned sit down and a coffee in air-conditioned comfort. Yes, we are soft!
The main road in front of the beach, Trần Phú, was getting some maintenance as we walked past. There was a team of men using hand held clippers manicuring these topiary trees.
Mick and I did make it back to our hotel safely with only one issue – one of Mick’s shoes fell apart. He was confident that he could repair it with some glue, should we be able to buy some.
After a couple of ibuprofen to ease our aching limbs, our afternoon turned into a bit of a hunt around the local shops for Tarzan’s Grip – Mick’s preferred glue for shoes. None was to be found and the best he could buy was super glue – Mick’s preferred glue for re-joining cuts and gaping wounds.
We did spot a shoe maker (yes – working on the footpath) who told us to bring the shoe back and he would fix it. Mick was not confident as the fellow was using super glue too, so we headed back to our hotel and he did his own repairs.
So far, so good.
Last night, we enjoyed a drink at the Jelly Brew Pub where the young waitress could speak very good English. She loved beer too, so she and Mick had a great chat about IPA and IBUs etc. etc.
Dinner was at the Japanese Restaurant next door to our hotel, and it was excellent and cheap!
Best tempura ever, but we were unsure what the seaweed was called that we ate, but it too was delicious. For dessert I tried eyeballs.
Only joking – they were jelly balls (Mochi Giot Nuoc) with something savoury in the centre. At 30,000VND (or $2 AUD) they were worth a try.
There was one little accident during dinner when I may have accidentally tipped my glass of sake over Mick as I tried to hand it back to him while saying – “I don’t like sake!”
We also had an update on the bike riders – who travelled 90km today – it what looks a bit of circuitous route to me. Apparently it was another very interesting day, but both of them are sporting sore butts!
Their weather started out sunny, but they get a little damp in the afternoon. The $5 poncho our son had packed for just such an occasion did not last 30 seconds. Luckily their guide was prepared.
They will spend tonight in Buôn Ma Thuột.
They were mostly riding on small local roads – sometimes made of concrete and other times no more than a rough dirt track. They also used local ferries to cross rivers, and their guide took them to some interesting places.
They stopped at an impressive waterfall, enjoying the opportunity to stretch their legs.
The day also involved a tour of a brick making factory and a drum making factory, and they had a chance to see some more elephants, and water buffalo. They told us these elephants are native to Vietnam and are used for both the tourist industry as well as for farming.
At 3 pm, the elephants are allowed to wade across the lake to where they spend the night unsupervised, and then 12 hours later, they are herded back across the lake for their day’s work.
Every now and then they came across some traffic, but they said these roads were much safer than the main roads they joined for part of today’s journey.
Then – the rain came, despite their guide assuring me before they left that the wet season was over.
They are not on the Ho Chi Minh Trail yet – that will be on Day 4 of their ride. I’m sure that will have some interesting sights as well for them to share with us.
Jane and Mick's Holiday Adventures 
Is Michael using that tree for another purpose?
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😂 Definitely NOT!! But well spotted.