Nha Trang, Viet Nam

We were here in 2009 during the World Cruise. Not a lot to see. We took a tour thru our travel agent which offered some things other than ruins and temples. We try to avoid the large tours because you spend a lot of time getting on and off the bus. Our first stop, the Oceanographic Institute was just out side the gate to the port so that started the first 5 minutes of the tour! The Institute had some aquariums full of colorful fish. They also had 2 seals in a small, dirty enclosure which was sad. The sea turtles pool was even dirtier. There were some interesting fish though like the stone fish that just blends into the rocks. 

        

     

The most interesting was a room with floor to ceiling jars of specimens. They even had a dugong which is a lot like a manatee. This one had been caught in a fisherman's net and brought to the Institute. They are incredibly endangered. 

We stopped at a lot full of the local rickshaws. They are made for one person, so we each got in one. A large gentleman in our group had to wait for them to bring an oversized one. Felt sorry for his driver as they are bicycle operated. There was a nice breeze and a lot of shade on the tree lined roads so the 45 minute ride was quite enjoyable. What was amazing is how they maneuvered thru traffic. The rule of the road was whoever got there first had the right of way. We were on very busy streets with a parade of about 25 of those things, a sight to see!

From there we went to the Pasteur Institute. The guide told us that the museum is usually closed on Saturday but they were opening it just for us. It was just one room about the size of our living room filled with old photographs and a few pieces of equipment, not very exciting. They still conduct vaccine research there though. There was a line outside the clinic of people waiting to be vaccinated. 

Next stop was the market. That I remembered! It is a large round 2 story building with booths spilling out on all sides outside. You can buy anything from meat and vegetables to pots and pans. I found the same type of shoe that I had purchased in Hong Kong so bought more. They are made from woven elastic, very unusual. They were less expensive there than in HK. 

We only had 45 minutes to shop, not enough! 

Lunch was at a restaurant on the beach. It was quite good, especially the fried fish! We were served family style with plenty of each course to go around. The beef wasn't very good but the noodle soup they made at the table was delicious. 

     

  

Our last stop was a palace. The last king was in 1975, not that long ago. The building was more like a summer home with 4 or 5 rooms and little furniture. It sat on top of a hill next to the harbor with spectacular views though. There was a small throne room, not very impressive. 

We were returned to the ship just before 2:00. We went to our cabin to drop off packages then returned to the pier. The shuttle bus was just about to leave so we hopped on. Once at the hotel drop point, we were not sure where the market was so negotiated with a taxi to take us there, wait while we shopped, then drop us at the ship for $15. We mainly shopped for Christmas presents for about an hour then returned to the pier. We still had 1/2 hour until all aboard so did more shopping at the market on the pier. I didn't even notice that we were moving until we were in the middle of the bay. We left at 5:00 on the dot.