29-11-2011: Last Day in Nha Trang:
What are the things we did not do that all others do? Vin Perl Island Tour. EVERYBODY does this tour to see the water park and rides. Having done many waterparks, parks and amusement arcades this was not very attractive. We wanted to spend this day without any plans, on our own just riding around town, by this time we have a good idea about the directions, roads and to topography of the town. Mark would have loved to take part, but he had some diving students and went out early morning.
Got up late, late breakfast and drove to the beach, it was a cloudy day, some drizzles and more to come. To be on the safe side we took out the ponchos we bought at HCMC for 2 USD, you don’t get them in India. Went to the beach, sat there watching surf and people watching surf. It started drizzling, so we rode back to the hotel, shelved the Sony HX100, took the pocked camera for the day, most pictures for the day would be not so sharp, it was raining on and off anyway.
Tap Ba Hot Springs and Mud Baths: Most people go here and it’s worth the gooey fun. Our hotel booked us in on the phone, week ends can be crowded, we were lucky. Being a rainy day, crowd was less, we were allowed more time in side and enjoyed the place thoroughly.
Nha Trang Thap Ba Hot Spring Mudbath (Vietnam's most famous)
Our ride was fine till the Po Cham Towers and then it started raining, moderate by our standards but unexpected. Stopped only to take the ponchos and reached Hot Springs in 3 Kms. Light crowd, we checked out the rates, about 25 USD for 2 people in a private mud tub, jackuzi, mineral water bath, water fall and pool, all HEATED or HOT. The mud is reported to be from volcanic ash, pumpepd up from underground, mixed with mineral water and takes a 4 KM journey to reach the baths.
You are given a locker, shorts / tops, change in the cubicles and directed to go up to the tubs. The wooden tubs are for 2, 2, 8 or big ones for about 10-12, have shades and semi private. You take a shower, the attendant fills the tub with gooey warm mud and you jump into the slimey stuff, fun if you have a partner to play tag inside. The mud gets all over you, 45 minutes of meditation on it is a chilled out experience, one is allowed 45 minutes, if the crowd is low, you can stay as long as the mud stays hot. There are photographers circling around, they snap your picture and give you a poster by the time you finish and come down. We get out take a shower, walk down to the jaccusi, stand between two walls, walls are full of chest high spouts spewing powerful jets, a massage when you turn around and allow the stream too hit you where you want it for 10 minutes. Next is another tub of hot mineral water, tasted it, great even for drinking, you can stay for 45 minutes, we do about 30 in it. Next you walk to the heated pool where we had fun with a couple of English children playing water polo for 30 minutes and reach the waterfall nearby. Cascades of hot water thunder down on you, if you lie down on its path, you get massaged all over freely, this was one of the best free massages we got till date. 3 hours have gone by, you feel rejunevated and warm all over, a little sore too with the massage. We collect the picture, dress up and walk to the parking lot with a warm glow all over. Another experience to chalk up the board and savour. I would strongly recommend this to everybody who goes to Nha Trang.
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3 PM, lunch at the Indian Restaurant and glorious sleep till 7 PM, the Mud Bath was highly relaxing. We went at 0800 PM to Mark’s diving school to say good bye to him, return the bike and part company. By now, we have become good friends, we were happy to have gained one more friend and a great human being. We have seen that he goes out of the way to help people, is fair to customers and wears his heart on his sleeve. Someday soon we’re going to meet again. Took some snaps with him, walked back to the hotel, 2 KM, have dinner at KFC, on the way, have a shot of Smirnofff, watch CNN for news on Bangkok floods and crash at 1000 PM.
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