True to his word Kris had remembered to leave his door open and I arrive after a final check of my room to find him and Matt flat out on the settee while Simpson DVDs played in a loop on the TV! I stored my bag in the corner, left a note saying that I was going to the beach and quietly let myself out..
The beach was virtually deserted. A few people in the distance lay on sun beds yet there was no one in the sea.
As I sat on the beach I gazed out over the flat, still ocean, past the huge pylons that carried the cable car to the island, and noticed the biggest ship I have ever seen. The photos I am afraid are hazy due to the distance and heat yet you can still see the vastness of this thing. The pylons had dwarfed our boat as we passed below them each day on our way to the islands and yet here was a ship that was moored far out past these pylons and was still higher than them!! There are cruise ships and there are cruise ships!!
I lay down on the slope of the beach, my feet about three foot away from the water and drifted back off to sleep. I awoke to find my feet being caressed by the cool water as the tide so slowly inched its way up the beach. With my feet now constantly lapped by the waves, my body warmed by the sun and my skin cooled by the soft breeze I spend a very blissful two hours on the beach before returning to Kris's house for a shower.
The house was just waking up, people blurry eyed from their late night indulgences, demanded food to ease their moaning stomachs! Bikes were hauled upright after their abandonment the night before and with my sarong hitched once more into a lady like position we headed off to find strong coffees and bacon butties!
Caffeine hits were ordered, extra sauce was smeared onto thick bacon and life returned to the dead bodies surrounding me. Last Day in Nha Trang!! What were we going to do? Kris had decided to spent the whole day with me, we could go to the Marine Park, climb the steps to the Great White Pagoda, go sight seeing in the surrounding hills. What did I want to do? Joe wanted more coffee, Matt wanted to go Go Carting. Everyone's face lit up! Final hits of iced coffees were downed, helmets were stuck onto heads and we were off.
The Fun Park where the Go Carts live is a thirty minute drive from Nha Trang, up the coast and slightly inland. We raced along the free way dodging fume belching trucks as we went. Out over the long bridge spanning the huge lilly filled waterways, tiny floating houses, life styles so different from our own. We passed through rolling hills green and fresh after the heat of the city. Joe snapped random photos as we raced along. Kris's helmet decided to detach itself from the foam inner that was rammed onto his head. With no straps to hold it in place, it was left to me to rest my hands on top of his head as we raced to prevent it from blowing off!
The Park was reached, bikes parked up, bugs were wiped from the fronts of our bodies. Riding pillion does have some advantages. We paid for our tickets and entered our very own amusement park as the place was deserted.
Staff sat in silent booths, cafés lay empty. The boys thought this was great and raced about like children climbing onto statues and doing very strange things to innocent small penny rides!
The Go Carts were located at the far side of the Park, I declined their offers to partake of the races and was handed their entire belongings to watch over as they climbed into their vehicles.
I am so glad I made the decision to film and photograph the following events rather that take part. Carts were rammed into the side tyres, shunted from behind, caught with some cracking side swipes and chaos generally ensued! When their time was up and the barrier was slid across the road to bring them back to the pits, they took the tight short cut and did another two laps before the guys could stop them!
Thunder rolled in the distance, the sky darkened but no rain fell so we headed off to the Pirate Boat ride. This was followed by the tiny Bumble Bee ride suitable for 4yr olds according to the sign and then as the boys headed for the next toddler style ride the sky's opened in true tropical fashion. Ten minutes later it stopped, the ground steamed and we headed back to the Go Carts. This time with the camera on video I stood beside the track and filmed their antics as they races around and around.
As they finished their final lap I became aware of the multitude of tiny bites I was receiving and realised I was standing in a swarm of mossies. The rain had brought them out to play but as it was day time I had put no spray on at all. I had received only one bite during my whole visit to Asia and now I had hundreds!
The boys joined me and we races away from the trees to the animal enclosures to play with the primates. Peacocks strutted their stuff, the boys did the same and the day passed by in riotous laughter and fun.
Our return journey to Nha Trang was as eventful as out outward one but with twice the traffic to weave around. The Boys decided to recover watching TV for an hour or two allowing me a final stroll along the beach front.
Every evening at about 5pm the evening breeze picked up bringing children and grown-ups alike to the beach front to enjoy the cooling effects of the onshore winds.
Mopeds festooned with Kites appeared on the corners, hand carts were rolled into place, all selling coloured kites and other such wind orientated delights. I sat and watched the growing crowd fill the shoreline. Three weeks had flown by.
In another four hours I would be getting on the night bus to Ho Chi Minh City. From there I would fly to Bangkok and then home. Three days of travel lay ahead of me.
I got up and returned to find Kris.
Our final meal was Mexican! JP joined us once more, along with Matt, Amanda and Joe. Crème caramels followed with chocolate sauce and as I licked all the plates clean I realised I had had no chocolate since the Mars in Pattaya three weeks before! With the meal finished we all said our goodbyes. Kris walked me to the bus stop, we hugged and I told him to go to Guava's and get drunk with his friends before I changed my mind and cancelled my flight!My trip had been amazing, I had travelled and seen sights that many people only see in books. I had met random people with fascinating stories to tell and had completed my PADI Open Water but best of all I had seen my son become a man. Seen his new life, met his new friends, seen the friendship and respect he held within this tight community. I returned home happy and proud.
Until the next time ….....
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