Nha Trang, Vietnam.
At 6:30 a.m. we slipped into the bay of Nha Trang. We were greeted with the sight of a ring of rainforest clad inactive volcanic peaks in front of which was a ring of smaller limestone peaks forming a ‘necklace’. This is because we are leaving the ‘ring of fire’ and entering the limestone basin that forms the eastern edge of the Asiatic plate in this region. On the starboard side was a hideous Disney like fun palace. This is linked to the town by cable cars slung across the bay and preventing our ship from docking. Tenders have to be used to transfer people to the main town. According to the tourist information this is a ‘party town’ aimed at Russian and Chinese tourists with shopping as a major attraction. There are embroidery workshops here and ancient towers from the 7th – 12th century. As we write on Deck 3 in front of us a fishing village climbs up the hillside from a small sheltered cove. Beautiful! These connections of the present and past, with strong Chinese influence and investment is historical continuity.
