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We arrived in Nha Trang at 6:00 AM just 3 blocks away from our hotel. We followed our direcitons “2nd right, 1st left” down the quiet, morning streets of downtown. Too early to check-in, we dropped of our packs at the hotel’s reception and walked around town to scout out some landmarks for later on. We quickly found Nha Trang’s beautiful beach lined with palm trees, palapas, and deck chairs. A boardwalk  runs parallel to the beach where thousands of early beach-goers stretch, walk, and run. Away from the beach, we found a bank that reminded me of bank I used 15 years ago in Bolivia. It was more of an office space than a bank, but they gladly exchanged my traveler checks for a small commission. On our way back to the hotel we walked down the beach again. I was excited to see people setting up a beach stadium for a volleyball tournament. Once closer, I realized that the nets were only about 5 foot tall.

The beaches of Nha Trang are the most beautiful we’ve seen on this trip. The water is clear with shades of blue starting with a ribbon of clear turquoise and ending with a deep ocean blue. We relished the opportunity to rent a couple beach recliners under a palapa and see the day go by. As the sun began to set and the business day winded down, thousands of locals started trickling towards the beach wearing life savers and happy smiles. Some exercised, others rented inter tubes and floated, and others enjoyed a grilled fish, crab, or lobster prepared right there on the beach by an older lady carrying here entire restaurant on her shoulder. We finished our day at the volleyball court, which we now know was a kick volley court. A fascinating version of volleyball without hands. Contact with the hollow, woven ball is allowed with shoulders, head, and feet. Much like volleyball, the ball is received, set, and spiked. I’ve always enjoyed watching amateur sporting events, so, sitting here in Vietnam under the shade of a palm tree and watching this new sport for a couple of hours was a perfect pastime.