Today is a lazy day, up late, walk to temple, walk back along the waterfront, clean up, out for dinner, and early to bed. What a chore!
Actually, the walk to the temple is about two miles, and we see the fishermen’s housing by the inlet - not pretty - and an area where houses have been bulldozed to make way for development. Also, on the sidewalk by the inlet, pieces of fish have been shredded and are drying as cars, motorcycles, dogs, and people go by. I bet this is the stuff you get in restaurants. Yuk.
Houses near the inlet.
Houses fishermen live in on the inlet.
We don’t meet any tourists on the last part of our walk - I guess they get driven to the Thap Ba temple, as there are lots of them there.
The outside of many of the five buildings has been renovated, but the inside has centuries of black soot clinging to the brick walls from the incense burning at the alters. Both young and old “believers” come to worship at the alters. As with the temples most places, this one is on the top of a small hill. There are stone and wood benches and many trees, so it is a lovely place to sit and relax before the return walk. I try the local cold tea drink that is served everywhere. It has a sweetness and flower flavour to it, and is very refreshing. Peter sticks to Pepsi - surprise, surprise.
The temple from afar.
The outside of many of the five buildings has been renovated, but the inside has centuries of black soot clinging to the brick walls from the incense burning at the alters. Both young and old “believers” come to worship at the alters. As with the temples most places, this one is on the top of a small hill. There are stone and wood benches and many trees, so it is a lovely place to sit and relax before the return walk. I try the local cold tea drink that is served everywhere. It has a sweetness and flower flavour to it, and is very refreshing. Peter sticks to Pepsi - surprise, surprise.
The temple from afar.
Pillers (reconstructed) but without the roof.
A temple building.
Inside the main temple builiding.
A temple building.
Inside the main temple builiding.
On the walk back, we enjoying watching the local children, adults, and families enjoying the park, beach, and ocean. We notice an Irish pub in a hotel and decide to come for dinner. We know it will be more than the local prices, but we need to get Peter some Western food.
Although the setting is very “Irish Pub”, the food is a mix. I try something Irish I have never heard of: a ground beef in spicy sauce with mashed potatoes on top served in an iron bowl. It is quite tasty. I order steamed vegetables on the side, so I leave most of the potato topping. Peter has a steak, which is done nice and rare. An expensive $35 for two with four 2/1 Happy Hour beer. We just blew the Vietnam budget. Wait until we get to Hoi An and I buy some silk clothing.
Entrance to the Irish Pub.
The local concert hall.
This used to be a tourist information building.
This is not a hedge, but hundreds of potted-plants.
Although the setting is very “Irish Pub”, the food is a mix. I try something Irish I have never heard of: a ground beef in spicy sauce with mashed potatoes on top served in an iron bowl. It is quite tasty. I order steamed vegetables on the side, so I leave most of the potato topping. Peter has a steak, which is done nice and rare. An expensive $35 for two with four 2/1 Happy Hour beer. We just blew the Vietnam budget. Wait until we get to Hoi An and I buy some silk clothing.
Entrance to the Irish Pub.
The local concert hall.
This used to be a tourist information building.
This is not a hedge, but hundreds of potted-plants.
Thursday, Feb. 24.
Two weeks and two days and I’ll be in Los Cabos and Peter will be enjoying a Greek Oven pizza. Each new day has passed slowly, but the entire trip has flown by. Only my now crowded hat - a conversation starter - reveals the number of places we have visited.
We head to the beach early today and I have a lovely swim before the 10 a.m. change of wind. We laze and read until just after lunch time. As the wind picks-up, there is a fool paragliding with a little Vietnamese guy in a sling-seat flying with him. Soon, there are a couple of guys kite-boarding and we both have thoughts of David Johnston and how much he would love this bay. I wonder if he has been here.
The waterfront.
The calm sea in the morning.
The parasailing in the breezy afternoon.
The choppy afternoon sea.
Two weeks and two days and I’ll be in Los Cabos and Peter will be enjoying a Greek Oven pizza. Each new day has passed slowly, but the entire trip has flown by. Only my now crowded hat - a conversation starter - reveals the number of places we have visited.
We head to the beach early today and I have a lovely swim before the 10 a.m. change of wind. We laze and read until just after lunch time. As the wind picks-up, there is a fool paragliding with a little Vietnamese guy in a sling-seat flying with him. Soon, there are a couple of guys kite-boarding and we both have thoughts of David Johnston and how much he would love this bay. I wonder if he has been here.
The waterfront.
The calm sea in the morning.
The parasailing in the breezy afternoon.
The choppy afternoon sea.
We head to the local market. It makes anything we have seen in South America look like Safeway! Circling the market is semi-circular apartment buildings which we guess must be government low-income places. It is all quite unique, especially when you have locals on their motor vehicles going up and down the aisles - like drive-thru shopping.
Tonight we head to the Backpacker’s district for dinner. We settle on a Texas rib place owned by an older guy from Memphis and a young fellow from Chicago. I have the combo - chicken and ribs - and Peter has the ribs. His barbeque sauce has a real kick as have the beans. The bill was exceptionally reasonable - like about $20 for two with two drinks each.
Tomorrow we go to the islands - snorkelling.
Peter gets his western-food fix two nights in a row; today and tomorrow.
Tonight we head to the Backpacker’s district for dinner. We settle on a Texas rib place owned by an older guy from Memphis and a young fellow from Chicago. I have the combo - chicken and ribs - and Peter has the ribs. His barbeque sauce has a real kick as have the beans. The bill was exceptionally reasonable - like about $20 for two with two drinks each.
Tomorrow we go to the islands - snorkelling.
Peter gets his western-food fix two nights in a row; today and tomorrow.
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