Dark angel

Dark(-Haired) Angel

“I was thinking,” said Loan on the phone early Saturday morning, “that maybe my niece could give you a tour of Nha Trang today. She lives here and could drive you around on her motorbike. Would that be okay?”

Considering that the other day I established that I have a weakness for women in open-aired vehicles, it took about as long to think about that question as a camera takes to snap a photo. “Loan,” I replied, “that would definitely be okay…”

And so one of the best days of the trip thus far was spent with a nice Vietnamese girl named Kristy. She took me up and down the streets of scenic Nha Trang and out to the Oceanography Museum, drinks on the beach, home, dinner, etc.; won’t bore anyone with details.

It should come as no surprise, though, that most memorable thing for me was cruising down the main boulevard on Kristy’s motorbike by the beach well after sunset with Christmas-like lights sparkling in the distance. As we accelerated into the night, her long hair flowed behind her in the breeze, tickling my neck and filling my nose with a fresh, fruity fragrance punctuated by the nearby saltwater scent of the ocean. She instilled excitement into my Vietnam vacation by taking me out on her Honda Dream just as James Cameron’s Dark Angel had gotten TV watchers’ pulse racing with Jessica Alba on a Kawasaki Ninja 500.

I owe Loan for this one.

Nighttime view of Nha Trang from the balcony of our room across from the beach.
Nighttime view of Nha Trang from the balcony of our room across from the beach.
Moon lighting the water.
Moon lighting the water.
Nam enjoys a Vietnamese Tiger beer at the Discotechno in Nha Trang.
Nam enjoys a Vietnamese Tiger beer at the Discotechno in Nha Trang.
Kim being camera-shy. Too bad, because that is one beautiful girl.
Kim being camera-shy. Too bad, because that is one beautiful girl.
Inside the disco club.
Inside the disco club.
Kristy took me around Nha Trang on her Honda Wave.
Kristy took me around Nha Trang on her Honda Wave.
Boats in the harbor of Nha Trang.
Boats in the harbor of Nha Trang.
Gazing at the water.
Gazing at the water.
Through the streets of Nha Trang.
Through the streets of Nha Trang.
Kristy and some fish in the Oceanography Museum.
Kristy and some fish in the Oceanography Museum.
The beach at Nha Trang.
The beach at Nha Trang.
Where we had drinks by the beach.
Where we had drinks by the beach.
Kristy driving out of the beach.
Kristy driving out of the beach.
Felix Wong in front of the theatre.
Felix Wong in front of the theatre.
Kristy in her family's beautiful four-story home.
Kristy in her family's beautiful four-story home.
Kristy's room.
Kristy's room.
Kristy's awesome 4th-floor view of the city of Nha Trang and the mountains!
Kristy's awesome 4th-floor view of the city of Nha Trang and the mountains!
Water feature in her home.
Water feature in her home.
The theatre, at night.
The theatre, at night.
Dark angel
Dark angel