Nha Trang Feb 14-16
Well, we have one of the best times (boat cruise) and worst times (motorcycle accident) in Nha Trang. Saying this, it was still a great part of the holiday, and with the accident, could have been much, much, much worse.
When we arrive, we do our Jett waits at travel agent while I find a room thing. We book one of Nha Trangs famous island cruises for the next day (famous for drink, drugs and debauchery but I make sure we are on one of the more family oriented ones). The minivan picks us up on time, drives us to the wharf and we get on the boat. We ride an hour to Mun Is where we are given snorkelling equipment and have a lot of fun.On the way to Mot Is, we are fed a huge seafood buffet and entertained by the boats "Boy Band". Of course I am dancing on the table by the end (remember Sihanoukville (and 100 other clubs :-) We then visit Tam Is where we watch people jetski, parasail and other island resort acitivities. An amazing tropical fruit buffet is provided on our way to Mieu Is which has an outdoor aquarium before we head back to the wharf. Either the competition for cruises keeps the prices at a ridiculous $6 or they really dont know what amazing value the cruise is, because if they did they would double the price.
We get pizza at Cool Kangaroo cafe and watch Matchstick Men which requires a lot of explaining to Jett. The next day, things go about as opposite to the great day before as they can. The plan was to ride the motorbike to the markets, bookstore to get more books for Jett who rad the 3 he brought with him already, visit a hill temple and spend the day at the local mineral springs. On the way to the market I spot a roadside bookseller. We stop, buy some books, and as we are turning around to continue, we are hit from behind by another motorcycle. The bikes thasnkfully hit at aslow speed so only topple onto each other however Jett and I are between to 2 bikes on the ground, and the other rider, and older guy, is thrown forward. Jett is screaming as we pull him out and sit him on the footpath, the other guy is bleeding from the head, i cant feel my shoulder and right leg. Not a pretty sight. Soon we are surrounded by people oggling. I am sitting with Jett, holding him as he screams. He has a cut down the side of his right leg, and scrapes on his elbow and shoulder. I ignore everyone as I pay him attention until he calms down.
By then the police arrive. Once again, any of you who have had dealings with the police in Asia know this means things just got worse, not better as they would in Oz. After taking my passport and organising someone from our hotel to come to the accident site, they let me take Jett to the hotel, shower him and dress his wound on the understanding that we come back to the accident site. A senior cop has arrived, everyone watches as he draws a diagram of the scene and tries to get me to sign it. I have no idea what I would be signing and refuse. We get taken to the station. We sit there for 2 hours and are told by the only person who speaks a little English, the senior guys young female assistant, that this will take up to 7 days to work out as we will have to go tro court. We are booked on the bus to Hoi An for 6.30pm that evening. We are scheduled to fly out of Vietnam for Bangkok in 7 days. It is 12pm. Sorry, she says. I am allowed to take Jett back to the hotel to rest on the promise that I will come back to the station.
The moped hire guy from the hotel drives us back. When we gets there he tells me that we have to square this up with the family of the other rider or it will be bad. They and the police can make us pay anything they like and stay as long as they like if we dont fix it up with the other family first. We ride to their cafe and meet the other riders wife. He is in bed with a cut head. Our luck turns. She is not interested in money she says. Normally I would have to pay her $200-300US to get them to agree not to go ahead with the case. They have a business, dont need the money and are practicing Buddhists. They believe this incident and we have been brought into their lives for a reason. She makes us tea, shows us her family photos, introduces us to her son who will be coming to Australia to study at Uni in a few years and husband and reiterates that it will all be OK. She will come to the police station, say it was both our faults, that she doesnt want to press charges and that we will both go on our own way. You cant believe the relief. If only it worked out that easy.
We agree to meet at 2pm and go to the police station together. I go back to Jett who has been resting watching cartoons in the room. I am so sad at what has happened. He seems sore but OK. We skype Joy and let her know what has happened and then it is tim,e to go to the station. I take Jett back to the room and go back to the other riders cafe and to the police station. For the next 2.5 hours, she and the moped hire guy try to negotiate with the cops to let us go. Not that easy.The senior cops boss seems OK, but the cop from the scene seems to want to assert his authority. Even if the other party doesnt want to press charges, I still broke the law. I was riding without a local drivers licence on a motorcycle not registered for hiring. There will be a court appearance, fines and lots of paperwork. He has to go at 4.30 and wont have the paperwork done by then so we will all have to come back tomorrow. I have a bus at 6.30 they say. Cant we do the paperwork and let me go. The well known blank stare and "Sorry". The wife and hire guy offer to take my place the next day if I agree to pay the fines can I go. Can you believe it? The wife of the man I was in an accident with, left blleding from the head, and the guy whose motorcycle I crashed, after refusung the bribe that would normally be required by a foreigner to sort things out, who have just spent their entire day at the police station, have just offered to take my place at the police station the next day so that Jett and I can catch our bus that night. I am completely overwhelmed. The cop says no, sorry, see you tomorrow.
Then his boss walks in. The wife and moped guy explain the situation to him. He says of course I can go. All I have to do is pay the fines (I prepare myself for hundreds of dollars, it comes to about $11) and sign some paperwork that the other cop can fill in the next day if he cant finish it today. You cant believe the look on the other cops face. Furious that bhis plan to frustrate the foreigner has been spoiled. I pay the fine, sign some papers, get my passport and walk out. The unhappy cop is leaving too. Where is he going, the wife asks. He has to pick his daughter up from school. I offer to do something, anything, for these 2 amazing people who have suffered physically, emotionally, timewise and financially to help me today. They refuse anything. Maybe, when her son comes to Australia, I can show him around. You bet I say. I go back to Jett, who has had to spend the whole day alone in the room and is still in good spirits and hold him a long time. Things could have gone so much worse than a few cuts, scrapes and bruises. We have dinner, buy some snacks and go back to the hotel to wait for the bus. The wife is there. She went to the supermarket and bought us supplies for the bus trip. I am in tars at the generosity of these people. We each have a new family now, she says. Buddha looks after us.
I give the moped hire guy 6 days rent for the bike as it has been imponded for that long, as well as money to get it back when it is released. I offer the hotel owner money for losing his staff member for the day and compensation for not having the bike. He refuses.
They load us up with more supplies and see us on the bus with hugs. As much difficulty as almost all the dealings we have had and will hve with Vietnamese service providers give us, these 2 families have touched my heart in a way I can only look to learn from. We get on the bus leaving our 2 adopted Vietnamese families with hugs and tears and waves. It is a relief when we take our seats. 2 hours ago, some cop was determined for us to miss it. Our Vietnamese families were more determined that we make it. We sleep as well as possible on an Asian overnight bus with motorbike accident wounds.
posted by flamethrower77 at 1:11 AM
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