Having decided to spend only one day in Nha Trang, we thought we would try squeeze in a bit of culture along with some time at the beach, for which Nha Trang is famous.
(The stall where we had our breakfast. The woman had various types of broths, noodles and toppings which she ladelled into big bowls. Each dish was served with a plate of fresh salad and mint leaves to be added to the soup)
We set off early to the Po Nagar Temple which was built by the Cham people in the 8th century. The Chams ruled the area that is now central Vietnam for 10 centuries before their territory was eventually taken by the Vietnamese. Overlooking the Cai River, the temple was built in honour of a Hindu Goddess who was believed to have created the earth and rice. The temple is now used by Buddhist Vietnamese who have covered the statue of the Goddess in Buddhist robes. We have seen a few Cham towers in the distance while cycling through this part of Vietnam but this was our first chance to explore them a little more closely. It was really impressive and nice to see it so lovingly cared for by the local people.
(Cycling through a busy intersection)
(Po Nagar Temple)
(Two of the four remaining towers at Po Nagar)
(Tower detail)
(Looking out over Nha Trang from the Temple)
(In the distance, the largest over sea cable car in the world connecting Nha Trang to Vinpearl Island)
After our little injection of culture, we spent the afternoon by the beach. It's not hard to see how the area has become such a popular tourist destination with such natural beauty. The wind was whipping up the sand and salty sea sprayed up from the shore but that didn't stop many holiday goers from making the most of the hundreds of sun loungers available to rent on the beach.
(The beach at Nha Trang, looking out towards Vinpearl island resort)
We headed out in the evening to meet our friends, Tim and Tina, who we last saw in Hanoi. It was really great to see them again and to hear about their own experiences over the past couple of weeks. All four of us are heading towards Da Lat and then Ho Chi Minh City over the coming days so we hope to catch up again soon.
(Just to illustrate the Russian influence - a tourist information office sign)
(The local Billiards club)
(This little kid was prancing around wearing the head of a dragon costume)
Tomorrow we're back on the road. We're still a little undecided about what route to take to Da Lat but we are giving ourselves two days to get there. Maybe we'll be a little more decisive once we're back on the bikes.
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