It was another long (12hrs) trip on the sleeper bus. When I got on the bus I went right to the back to where there is a row of 5 sleeper seats next to each other, hoping that I'd get lucky and get it all to myself! Right before we pulled out of the bus station a group of 7 loud boys came onto the bus. 4 of them climbed and squeezed onto the remaining seats next to me, joking immaturely all the while about spooning and cuddling. We started chatting and exchanging stories...: they are 7, 19 year-old English guys traveling for a few months...only 2 weeks in. When I answered their questions about age and travel history and the other routine questions that seem to start most conversations between travelers, they kind of went quite, stopped joking around, and maturely, respectfully, and with genuine interest interviewed me for the next few hours. It was quite amusing to be honest!
When we arrived, I went to the same hostel as them, booked one night and then met up with Nick, Adam, and Daryl and went to the beach with them. We chilled and discussed. We both didn't want to compromise or change each others travel plans or freedom, and agreed that it would only work if we stayed true to ourselves. And so started our temporary but exciting time traveling together!
In the evening I took them to the market :-) and then we went out for dinner at an expensive seafood restaurant (expensive for Vietnam). [This was the first thing I had to accept about our different travel styles...] then we went out to Why Not bar. It was a good night!
In the morning I packed up, checked out, and moved into the dorm where the boys were (I moved and not them because theirs was cheaper haha). We went out (again) for breakfast, but I just brought along a mango,a couple bananas, and some soymilk I had bought the day before! I'll change some things for my boys, but not if it'll potentially hurt me...so I just modify a little.
That day, after much back and forth, I decided to join them on their trip to Vinpearl Land. We each (the 3 boys, 2 other English girls, and I) paid 500,000VND ($25) for our ticket, and then got a taxi to where the world's biggest over water cable car took us from the mainland onto the small island. We spent 10 hours there to get in all we could for the money we had paid. We went on all the rides (unimpressive), did all the slides in the water park - a few times - , spent a few hours on the picturesque beach, did "bungee jumping" (assisted trampoline), took the alpine coaster just in time for the sunset, ate food, went the Underwater World (an impressive aquarium), and then after dark went to the arcade. It was the weirdest amusement park anyone could imagine! There was hardly a soul around...but it was in perfect condition. It felt like there was something we didn't know about - like maybe there was a tsunami coming, or a zombie apocalypse haha...
The next day we went to the local brewery, tried some beers, and then in the evening went to a bar to watch the boy's home teams play football! Boy was that emotional!
Nha Trang too was a nice city; a bit big for me though. On Monday morning I hopped on a bus to Dalat where I would meet the boys...
~Iolani
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