Nha Trang, Vietnam

So one observation we made while we were in Vietnam... the vendors are extremely assertive (bit of a euphemism,) and even more gifted at separating you from your hard-earned dong (Vietnamese currency). They are extremely talented bargainers, and even better at convincing you that yes, you do want to buy that trinket/bracelet/leg-hair threading treatment/pineapple/grilled lobster at your beach chair. Things get ugly, though, the minute the traveller suspends one of the time-honored Rules of Purchase:

1.) If you say "maybe later" to a vendor on foot, especially in a situation where you are stationary and they are walking (say while on the beach,) they WILL come back to your chair. Don't get angry if they do.
2.) If you raise your voice and lose face while bargaining, there is a good chance the shopkeeper or vendor will, too.
3.) Pick your item carefully. Once money changes hands, there are absolutely no refunds, exchanges or returns. Period.

We witnessed a gross violation of the Rules while chilling out in the beach-side town of Nha Trang, a coastal city with a population of about 300,000, eight hours north of Saigon or so. But more on that, later.

We had selected Nha Trang because of descriptions like this one from Wikipedia:

"It is well known for its pristine beaches and excellent scuba diving and is fast becoming a popular destination for international tourists, attracting large numbers of backpackers on the Southeast Asia circuit. It is already very popular with Vietnamese tourists. Nha Trang Bay is amongst the world's most beautiful bays. Tourists can participate in Sea Festival and August- Nha Trang Rendez- vous Festival every 2 years."

While the beach at Nha Trang was nice enough, we probably would not categorize it as "amonst the world's most beautiful bays," especially after spending time in Indonesia, French Polynesia and Thailand. It is a bit built up with nondescript, concrete-block shaped mid-range motels and hotels lining the shore. There is also an extremely tacky resort being built offshore, with plans to connect Nha Trang beach to it by gondola lift. It was also perhaps one of the least restful beaches we've visited on account of the extremely opportunistic and shrewd sellers plying the beaches constantly with their items for sale. Regardless of all of this, though, our time at Nha Trang was not without humor, and we enjoyed the local food, a very clean and friendly guesthouse, and pretty easy beach access.

Pictures of Nha Trang:

waves breaking on Nha Trang Beach, Vietnam

eating lobster and crabs on Nha Trang Beach... tough life, eh?

Nha Trang Bay

When we first arrived, we headed down to the beach to spend a few hours relaxing by the sea. Typically anywhere in Asia, a local guy will own a small fleet of beach chairs and umbrellas. For a few bucks, you pay him to usethem for the afternoon. We did just that and were relaxing when the ladies began coming by, showing trays of cheap jewelry, temporary tattoos, food goods, etc to tourists lying on chairs. Three girls from Spain were sitting in beach chairs behind us. We happened to notice them bargining with one particular vendor for a while, closely looking at her selection of anklets. All of the sudden, a commotion begins. The tiny Vietnamese vendor, no more than five feet tall in a large conical hat, is up and yelling at the girls while they prance around their chairs singing taunting songs. Vietnamese vendors are coming out of the woodwork to join the original vendor in the cursing of these three girls. A circle of curious tourists begins to ring around the whole bizarre scene. Tangential to this whole thing is a large-ish lady screaming bloody hell about a frog cell-phone charm- like one of those dangly ornaments (sometimes larger than the phone itself), that people hang off their cell phones as decoration. We learn that apparently the original vendor had just sold the girls three bracelets (which they selected themselves from her tray.) Apparently, once money had been exchanged, one of the girls realized that her bracelet was broken or somehow defective. When she realized this, she pointed it out to the vendor and asked for a refund. Of course the vendor said no. As a result, the girl snatched a fistful of the vendor's wares, hid them in her pockets, and started taunting the vendor, saying she wouldn't give them back until the vendor gave her her money back. The vendor summons all of her little vendor friends, who started dropping f-bombs and threats at the girls liberally, and the whole thing is on the brink of fisticuffs- so much for the pleasant, peaceful slice of sand of which we'd dreamt. Anyhow, the original vendor starts pushing the girls, who push back, then the slapping starts, and the guy who owns the beach chair business runs in to get involved, because violent vendors are frankly bad for his business. The three Spanish girls start to stalk off (still holding the stolen goods in their pockets,) and a veritable mob of female Vietnamese vendors parades off on their heels. It gets ugly at the carpark, where the girls have parked their motor bikes- the vendors swarm the girls, steal their bikes, and say they won't give them back until the girls give back the stolen merchandise. Total stalemate, and I'm wondering if pretty soon one of them will start taking human hostages. On top of all of it, apparently the fat lady says that in addition to stealing the bracelets and anklets from the original vendor, the girls have also made off with her "froggy cell phone charm," which was a "gift to her from a nice tourist." The police come down and get involved just as it seems as if the Spanish girls are going to get a total beat-down from the mob. They sort of side with the tourists (basically because they've been instructed to err on the side of tourists in these sorts of situations- tourism is an important part of Nha Trang's revenue.) The bikes and bracelets are grudgingly exchanged. End of drama.

This sort of situation, we felt, whether it was fair or not, was the fault of the three girls. Rules are different while travelling in developing countries, especially when buying from vendors in cash. They should have more carefully examined the goods before ponying up the cash. Still, though, a humorous afternoon. And the fat lady got her frog back afterall. Good old Vietnam.

The fat lady, triumphant with her frog cell-phone charm