DIARY - Sunday 13th January 2008 What is it about European back packers that make them want to plug their earphones in, close their eyes, draw the curtains and pretend the long bus journey ahead is not really going to happen. I am sitting in what could be termed the morning rush hour, a 5 laned queue to get onto the ferry crossing the Mekong. Sitting on this local bus people are chatting and laughing, the tourist bus outside the window shows rows of sombre ear plugged 'I'm having a good time - really I am' young travellers. People watching is fascinating, a drama playing with endlessly changing characters and scenes. The sing song Vietnamese language is quite beyond my flat Yorkshire accent and always provokes gales of laughter when I try to converse or order food, but they spend time helping my pronunciation talking to me as though I were a child.
I just wish I could find the words to tell the woman behind to stop kicking the hell out of my back! Using a motorcycle as a means of transport takes on a new meaning over here, not only how many people can get on one bike, but what loads can they carry. Two wardrobes - one across the backseat, the other resting on top and leaning on the drivers head. Three pigs, upside down on the back seat - I bet they were fun being strapped on! A baby on a bar stool in front of the scooter rider, ingenious methods of fastening all and everything onto two wheels.
Actually riding on the road is a real lesson in organised chaos. You could compare it to superbike racing, or a lap of the Nurburgring. Never look behind you, just pull out when you like - blast long and lean on the horn (tough luck if you are deaf) and just go for a gap. It is up to the person behind to look for a gap opening up and if you want to turn across the traffic, just aim for the gap again and the traffic will go round you (sez them)! Expect somebody pulling out from a side road to your right without looking and at the same time expect someone to overtake you and then cut across your bows to turn right. Interesting to say the least. Nha Trang is an amazing piece of coastline, the South China Sea slightly warmer than the cold North Sea, but a little on the rough side. However, a swim and a sunbathe it was to finish the day.