Nha Trang

I got off the night bus this morning about 6 am to a swarm of motos and hotel hawkers. Walking has always suited me, even with a 30 pound bag on my back. I still haven't managed to switch successfully to metrics. Nha Trang is lovely. Beach? Hell, yes! I found accommodation pretty quickly and headed for a dip. My room is $14 with a balcony overlooking the street, a view of the ocean from one block away. There's a rooftop terrace will great views of the beach and town, too. While what I'm paying is probably expensive compared to what you pay traveling with others, I have to pinch myself from time to time, considering NYC prices.

To the Four Seasons cafe beach front in Nha Trang, I'm lunching on spring rolls and, yes, a cool beverage. Although, I imagine Viet Nam only has two seasons, hot and hot and wet. Ahh, what do I know? Yesterday, a woman shoved me out of her photo of Ho Chi Minh at the Parliament building in Saigon. I'm pretty sure she was Chinese. Personal and physical space here aren't a concern. Whatsoever. In Cambodia, people who bumped into you would turn to apologize but not so much here. Trampled, you may be, shoved, bumped, run over. Check yourself, before you wreck yourself.

Oh me, oh my...have I failed to mention Vietnamese coffee? Lord have mercy, it is the greatest thing on this earth...at least lately. Potent? Um, yeah. And they serve it with condensed milk. And over ice. Papa Joe Peek put it best. It is indeed "the elixir of the gods!" I'm up to two a day. One in the morning, and then the afternoon coffee. It's a culture here. In fact, I think it's Southeast Asian. Afternoon coffee. Fine, some of us may do it in New York. Or the US. But everyone does it here. Across countries. Across peoples. And condensed milk?! Delicious in your coffee. I have yet to explore its fat content, et cetera, and for now prefer to stay in the rich, bitter, cocoa-colored darkness. What we don't know, can't hurt us...cliche for a reason that I'm hoping applies to me!