From Nha Trang to the Ba Ho Waterfalls

Another remarkable day in Nha Trang Beach. Today, a dozen of us backpackers and expats rode on motorbikes from Nha Trang Beach to the Ba Ho Waterfalls.

Last night, we all met at Guava club and took it easy with just a few drinks. It’s like Cheers here where everybody knows your name! And the drinks you fancy. Met with the 2 Belgium guys, Australian guy, Shanghai girl, German girl, Gerry, and the managers we have been hanging out with every night. We’ll call it our bubble of debauchery, trainwrecks & good laugh. Ever since I got to Nha Trang beach, I have felt like I’ve been living in some sort of Hedonistic society. Every moment has been filled with laughter. Everybody we’ve met has been so witty & clever. Everything we’ve done has been so fun. I could easily stay here for a few more weeks.

Ba Ho Waterfalls, Nha Trang

Today at noon, our whole crew from last night met to go motorbiking from Nha Trang, down the coast (45 minutes) to Ba Ho waterfalls. There were about 10 bikes, 2 people on each and we followed each other down. Another amazing ride down, beautiful weather, passing by empty beaches and docked boats. Once we got to this waterfall, it was about a 20 minute hike through the forest, then another 20-minute climb on foot through steep rocks of all sizes to get to the first waterfall. Many of the boys jumped off the cliff which wasn’t that high. I didn’t dare jump though as I am forever traumatized from my cliff jumping experience at Lake Mead a couple of summers back when I almost broke my back!

It was quite sunny out. Perfection. We hung there for a bit, then headed over to another little waterfall area. The Ba Ho Waterfalls area was not commercialized at all. Just a few locals with baskets of cold water selling beer and soda. I have to say, rock climbing isn’t really my thing. And holding a beer in one hand didn’t make it easier.

We left around 5 pm with half the group left. Back on the motorbike, we go, back to Nha Trang during sunset. Absolutely surreal. I love Nha Trang and it’s surrounding areas! It’s so relaxing. The chill lifestyle, everyday logistics is easy, low maintenance and cheap. Nha Trang represents the sort of freedom so many westerners come to Southeast Asia for. It’s the place to hide out for a few weeks, months or even years. Travelers and expats with a little bit of money can live a life of luxury here. It’s a pretty safe beach town except for the occasional pickpocketers.

Pickpocketing in Nha Trang

They say the trend is they’ll be 4 girls in the middle of the night picking out solo sloppy drunken people (mainly men). And flirt with them, pretending to want to hook up, touching their crouch, while another one touches their buttocks and steals all their stuff. I heard there were these 3 ladyboys that would infamously ride motorbikes every night and go pickpocketing. Then they got kicked out of town, so they haven’t spotted them for awhile. We also saw 2 prostitutes at the bar last night. They were pretty, sitting there not speaking to each other, sippin’ a drink. It’s common here unfortunately, especially with the large expat community.

After talking to many of the club owners in the area, they tell me the waitresses make about 100$ a month. It’s more than they would make in most villages but obviously low on a global scale. The shitty thing is most people don’t tip in these countries.

I’m off to a shower, then meeting the group up for some Indian food and our last night out! Tomorrow night we take an overnight bus back to Saigon, then a flight to Bangkok. I plan to spend half a day there shopping my life away. Then board the bus at 5 am to come back to home sweet home. Back to the hustle.

Back to my obligated blackberry usage/lap top/50$ gas tank/SUV/10$ lunches/jam-packed Corporate meetings. And back to my US face mask. A bittersweet feeling of course because I miss home, I miss Cali. I miss some of my material possessions that will tie me back down. But I’ve fallen in Love with the Ba Ho Waterfall and Nha Trang beach town. I’m also addicted to the nomadic life living out of a backpack with stinky clothes, a few bracelets and a journal. I will miss being free to roam in any direction I please, in countries so cheap to travel through, where you can pretty much do anything. Periodic moments in the day I’ll just think to myself.. “Life is good. Not a bad life here, eh mate!?” I’ve begun speaking like the Brits because I been hanging out with too many bloody of them!!