Riding at night is an option

   6:14 and Van Gia was in my rear view mirror.  Only thirty-five miles to Nha Trang.  By 8:30 the heat  and humidity were turning me into sweaty a mess.  Trying to ward off dehydration I kept pouring down the water. A brief stop to wash the salt out of my eyes, I pedaled on.  Mountains on either side of me, I was expecting another mountain pass but somehow the road twisted around them.  Only as came down the last few miles did I hit a mile of climbing.  The road looked flat but it was an optical illusion,  I had to keep downshifting, slowing down to a creep.  Finally Nha Trang can into view with all its shoreline high rises.  Only 10:00 and it felt it was the mid afternoon.  At a cafe, I search and found a hotel in the center of town.  Dan Potter had put me in touch with two of his Vietnamese friends who recommended a Homestay.  Checked it out online and it was way out of my budget. They claimed it was the another site but I wasn’t about to wait to have them (Vimala and Ud) figure it out, given my overheated body and desire to find a place to park myself.  A two night stay will help fortify me for the last stretch to Ho Chi Ming City, 260 miles.
      Cleaned up, washed the clothes, took a nap and headed to the beach waterfront.  Strolled down both directions before stopping at a beach Tiki bar for a beer.  Round eyed westerners were everywhere, particularly the fat Americans, hard to miss. One seat down, a Vietnamese guy (Peter Doan) and I struck up a conversation. He started a interior design business ten years earlier where he designs layouts for large office buildings and hotels. He now employs sixty employees and works with dozens of subcontractors.  I filled him in about my doings in return. Next thing we were in a cab headed out for dinner where we would meet his friends at a Vietnamese fish restaurant.  His meditation/yoga instructor, her husband and twelve year old son joined us.  A very gay friend/follower of the meditation instructor arrived next..  It was interesting to get the gay twenty/five year old’s take on being gay in Vietnam.  The long rectangle table filled with one dish after another, an amazing spread of food. My chopstick practice paid off. Our conversation was lively.  The gay kid, Peter and the mediation instructor’s command of English kept things moving.  Peter had a plane to make back to Saigon so he called a cab and got me back to my hotel and he to the airport. Pictures taken, Facebook connections made and I hope we meet again.
     What a day. Tomorrow I site-see and rest up for my ride to Cam Ranh.  I need to start off earlier to minimize the heat and humidity.