Nha Trang, Vietnam (16-18th April)

Nha Trang is supposedly the Vang Vieng of Laos - not typically local but good for the backpacker party crowd. It is a city on the coast and I thought with a pretty nice beach considering. It's also the main place in Vietnam known for diving.

16th April Ne Trang day 1

My first days diving on my advanced level course!! I bit the bullet and bought a SSI (cheaper than PADI) course for 180 USD which is pretty cheap especially as I'm the only one in the class. We arrived in the evening and after a shower went to eat at a place up the road where the guys bought a huge bucket of cocktails but which I was refraining from due to my diving course. The sensible side of me comes out. Much of my evening was spent popping into the various dive shops trying to get the best deal. I decided on cramming 3 dives into 2 days rather than over 3 days as I dont have a lot of time to dilly dally. At least that way I could play the third day by ear and spend it here or save it for Hoi An which I have had this feeling about that I'll love it there.

The first dive was incredible - a place called fisherman bay, we went to 15 metres for 49 minutes. I was wearing a computer watch which calculates how long you are safe to dive at various depths taking into consideration the amount of nitrogen in your body. Better than the manual PADI dive tables. My second dive was bouancy, which was actually really helpful because I started realising how much you could control your bouyancy just by using your breath rathan than artificially using your life-jacket. I was aware of it through the remiander of my dives and it really helped. My third speciality of the day was navigation, where I had swim around proving I could follow the compass on my wrist but it was a bit difficult and not compeltely accurate with the current! The dives were of a good lenght, better value than Ko Tao which apparantly has a bit of a reputation...

The weather was lovely until on the way home it decided to sheet it down, and there on the boat, a crowd of us are, in our swimwear, grabbing anything for warmth, shivering but happy.

17th April Ne Trang day 2

So today was my second day of my advanced diving and the rest of the guys came along too for snorkelling which was nice. We also met a friendly Irish girl called Laura. My thoughts returned to Koa Tao, in Thailand where I did my open water when I was with the girls back at the beginning of February. Austin was a master diver and joined me for like 40 dollars for 3 dives.

The first dive was incredible - a place called Madonna rock where we swan through rocks and crevices resembling caves and overwhelmed by shoals of fish sheltering therein. This was my 'advanced deep' speciality - as an open water diver you can only dive to a depth of 20 metres and so deep water is a compulsary element of advanced. Ironically the visability (vis) wasnt good and so the remainder of the dive we swam shallower, where we saw the shoals of fish. My second dive wasnt so enjoyable as I was cold upon entering the water and for the entire duration - 48 minutes. This was at 'small wall' and probably the most unexciting dive. This was my nitrox speciality which is a tank which contains more oxygen, enabling you to dive for a much greater lenght of time, or in this case, as the instructor and my friend Austin were on air, less tiring and safer. I had 3 dives yesterday and 1 already today so it seemed a sensible thing to do. It also counts as a credit towards nitrogen speciality, but I didnt want to pay the extra 60 dollars for it! This is already a treat but hopefull will come in handy as trying to get into sports agencies in london for commericals. By the third dive I was completely exhausted and could have just gone to bed even though being the photography speciality it was the one I had been most looking forward to. However once in the water - with three wetsuits this time! - I was in my element as I love photography anyway and being underwater was just ace. Returning to the boat, Austin suggested we do some 'water dancing' which essentially involved swimming off by ourselves (I can do this as a certified diver as long as I am accompanied by a master diver) removing our flippers and dancing ballroom style on the sandy floor! It was wicked, and he twisted me around and even cartwheeled me around.

Unfortunately I was low on air and the entire boat were waiting for us so we had to stop our fun. We had some lunch and then I worked out my itinary and then rushed around like a blue arsed fly to book a sleeper bus for the evening as if I want to spend 3 days in Hoi An, 2 days in Halong bay before a concert in Hanoi on the 25th I had to get outta here! Managed to get a sleeper bus for 180,000 (10 dollars 11, or 7 pounds 49 which isnt bad as it includes accomodation and is a 10 hour journey.

Am currently on the overnighter and chatting to a couple just on a two week break, and an australian travelling for 3 months. The annoying driver kept playing bloody chirpy vietnam music throughout the night which kept waking me up. I got up at one point and asked him to turn if off, he wouldnt but turned it down only to turn it up again half hour later! The air con made the whole coach freezing so ironically even though I could have slept with the sort of bed, the temperature made it impossible. I also lost my PADI diving book which I am not happy about! It fell down from my bunk and I thought id get it later as there was a guy sleeping on the floor and I didnt know where I could physically tread! Lesson: dont leave til tomorrow something you can do today. But hey, I never learn.

In the evening we went out again. Cant remember where, cant remember names, but its a good crowd. I think I also did some clothes shopping as I was so fed up with the same wardrobe and feeling really scanky...! Oh it felt good ;)