Touring Here and There: Day 59 - Nha Trang to Phan Rang (October 29)

Wedding Day

For whatever reason, it was a good day for a wedding. Even though it was a Monday, I passed three weddings along the way. There was even a wedding at the hotel at which I stayed in Phan Rang, Thong Nhat Hotel (343 Thong Nhat). When I returned from dinner, the bride and the groom were greeting guests as I entered the lobby.

For the next few days, I traveled alone while Terry headed into Saigon by Train to get his bike repaired and prepare for the next part of the trip. I headed south to Phan Rang on my way to Da Lat.

As I leave Nha Trang and turn onto Highway 1, a motorbike driver pulls up beside me. Instead of "hello" he says, "How are you doing?" Only someone who spends his days speaking with English tourists would say hello this way. I find out that he actually works as a bar tender in one of the swank bars near the beach.

Pagoda on 23 Thang 10 in Nha Trang

Large Tree on 23 Thang 10

Today's ride was easy and enjoyable. The wind is at my back for large amounts of the ride and I am able to easily keep a 20 miles per hour pace for long stretches of time.

The day starts as a sunny day. It is nice to have clear skies today, but the cloudy skies and rain are actually a good thing because they keep the temperature cool.

Pagoda Gate

I rode past the location of Former U.S. Naval Base at Cam Ranh Bay South of Ba Ngoi. All I saw were empty airfields.

I think this is what remains of the abandoned Dong Ba Thin or Flander's Airfield.

Christian Cemetary

Mountains South of Cam Ranh

Just before I reached these mountains, I stopped for water in an calm village south of Cam Ranh. A grandma and her daughter come out to great me. After it is established that I want water and I have that water in my hands, the daughter rushes right back inside to watch her favorite soap opera on the television. Grandma stays outside and watches me fill my water bottles from the 1.5 liter bottle that I bought from her.

Grandma eventually tries to talk to me. I'm not sure what she is saying, but she seems to be indicating that I should return to Cam Ranh and grab a motobai or bus to help me in my journey south. I try to indicate that I don't need transportation. I have my bike, there is a strong wind, and that wind is at my back. Just then, to illustrate my point, a rain jacket flies through the air (from where I don't know) and wraps around grandma's face and upper body. We struggle to remove it, laughing. Feeling that my point has just been illustrated by the rain jacket, I wave my goodbyes and head on my way towards Phan Rang.

Not more than 10 miles from the Grandma-and-the-rain-jacket incident, I stop for food in a place where I think I will be alone. As with past lunch stops, a shepherd slowly approaches. Having eaten two PB&J sandwiches, I am now ready to leave. The shepherd has gotten with 5 yards of me. I laugh, wave, and I am on my way again.