Mud mud, glorious mud

On the road to Nha Trang we had several stops for photo opportunities. We had asked the guide for a chance to stop and take really good photos of the rice planting. He must have taken the hint about this as he then asked the driver to stop at a place overlooking a fishing harbour. It was the most amazing sight to see the fishing boats which were unloading their catch. They are extremely colourful especially in the numbers massing in the harbour. They use small bamboo coracles to unload the fish from the boats. On the beach there was unloading of fish, mending of nets and general noise and colour. We were high above it all snapping away.

To our delight we also stopped at a fish market where the catch was being unloaded. We saw ice being chopped up and delivered to the hold of boats just about to go out to sea. Most of the fish buyers were women who were haggling over the price of the catch then loading it up in various ways to take to the local market. It was a shock to many of the group who were not used to the smell of fish in such quantities. We then stopped for lunch and guess what---it was fish. Usually we asked for the set menu for lunch though by now squid had lost its appeal. Thankfully Charles would finish off any squid left by the rest of us.

Nha Trang was a huge beach resort with all the usual attractions on offer, very different from the fishing villages we had passed. We took a walk along the front to see how the Vietnamese enjoy a seaside holiday. Our meal that night was a barbecue with clay barbecues set on the table in the middle of each group of four. It was a crazy experience----health and safety didn't come in to it and the food was really delicious.

The next day we had a boat trip out to a coral reef. Some people snorkelled or swam and there was an option of going in a glass bottomed coracle to view the reef. The surprise on board was a lady who offered to do a massage or other beauty treatments. To explain the boat had wooden seats which were then laid flat for the massage and then laid out as our lunch table. What fun we had as people took it in turn to have a massage, a pedicure, manicure or threading (when threads are used to remove hairs from the body). She was very good and great fun. Needless to say the men didn't go for the threading! There are not many secrets left among our group now.

The grand finale to the day was an optional visit to the mud thermal springs which nine of us took advantage of. We started with mineral showers then were given a mud pond to get in (nine person size) and it was filled with a mud mixture. Fifteen minutes in there then we had to dry off in the sun, water jets to clean us off then a pool of clean water. We finished the process with a swim. What a great time was had by all and after all this treatment we all slept like logs.