Day 13

This morning we got up really early and walked to the beach in hopes of seeing the sun rise. Unfortunately, it was cloudy (for the first time since I hit the road!). But it was fun to watch Nha Trang wake up! A lot of Vietnamese people came down to the beach to swim, run, or stretch. There was also an aerobics class in the park, just off the sand. By the time we started walking back to our hotel, it wasn't quite 6am and the streets were already bustling - not with tourists, but with local folks. :) I had xoi for breakfast (sticky rice with sesame seeds and shredded coconut) and Yuri had a fresh baguette (Vietnam is great for French bread!) - they were each just 5,000 dong (about 25 cents) from street carts.
At 9, after showers and a few episodes of Scooby Doo, a bus picked us up and took us to the dock for our Mama Linh's Island Boat Tour. the tour itself was somewhat of a disappointment. I'm actually surprised that LP recommended it. It was dirt cheap (now I know why), but there were lots of extra fees - like to actually get off the boat when it was docked at some islands. However, it was a very popular tour with Vietnamese tourists, and from that aspect it was interesting to be a part of. There was "live entertainment" on the boat, which consisted of a couple of staff members with a guitar and a make-shift plastic-jug drumset, and a microphone which was passed around karaoke-style. Meanwhile, passengers danced on the benches, which ad been folded down into tables. Occasionally they jumped over the sides into the water to cool off and splash around.
We stopped at 4 islands - snorkeled off the side of the boat at one (just a small reef), threw pebbles and looked for shells at the next, and stayed on the boat and played cards (Yuri practiced shuffling) at the others (where it was either expensive or not an option to get off). We did have a decent lunch on the roof of the boat, and a nice spread of fresh fruit in the afternoon. Despite pleasantly overcast skies and liberal use of sunscreen, I still got burnt. I'm just pink all over now, and will be until the end of my trip. I guess it was inevitable... :-/ :-p
Nha Trang was fun, albeit overly touristed.
Tonight we'll take the night bus (eleven hours) to Hoi An.