Mud baths, this time for real

Experienced the foulest of table manners from a Russian couple at breakfast. When I say couple, this was more like a welders union association. The man (complete with Lech Walensa moustache), had his left elbow on the table holding a chunk of bread at head height. The right elbow was on the table at just the right angle so he could scoop food off his plate straight into his mouth (about an inch away), occasionally popping up for a snatch of bread.

The wife fetched all the food. She would tuck into a piece of water melon with juice dribbling down her pock marked triple chin, wiping it away with the back of her hand, then spitting the pips out on the table.

I thought that was gross until we got to the mud baths. [disclaimer here; these are my opinions unless otherwise stated. Some people actually enjoyed the communal bathing experience.] This was possibly the most disgusting thing I've ever been made to do in the name of entertainment and for the love of my family.  To start with, the mud bath was like gritty vomit and a similar colour; I've included a photo of a free photo, but Ron requested to be cut out because he looked too Russian. This photo is faked by the way. Whilst it looks like we're sitting in a jungle paradise, in reality we are surrounded by concrete pipes, walls, drains and sluices for moving around the gunk. We then had a mineral water shower to wash off the vomitus and moved to a mineral water bath that was nice and warm, but was soon cloudy from the crotch mud that hadn't been removed in the shower.

Finally there was the swimming pool, which sat at a warm 39c, just the right temperature for bacterial cultivation.

Throughout this whole experience we were treated to the most unpleasant parade of Russian flesh wallowing in mud and mineral water. The men stank of BO after getting out of the water and I just don't understand who would think wearing a size 98 bikini is flattering. They then stand in front of the water jets in the swimming pool for a pummeling massage. The water disappears for a few seconds before re-emerging from the flaccid folds of pasty white flesh.

Kyra said she felt like Elle McPherson in comparison, but of course, she looks that way to me all the time...

Had a quick beer there, but it was dangerously close to being regurgitated unless you just stayed looking at the beer.

Stopped off at at temple on the way back and dusted off the cameras for some photos. Had some crispy squid pancakes opposite the temple in a roadside eatery. Looking at the cleanliness, I can't help but feel this was a mistake, but we can always blame the buffet at the Sheraton tonight if we get sick.

Angela is getting excited about the extravagant smorgasbord at the Sheraton. Ron and I feel that we should be supporting the locals with another cheap meal down the night markets, but we'll probably end up supporting American corporate excess.

...

Well everyone is suitably buffeted, bloated and tired.

We've a 2pm flight to Ho Chi Min City tomorrow for our last leg of our journey. Hopefully we'll not get the same taxi driver to Nha Trang Airport.  I don't think we'll miss Nha Trangski, but it was an experience all the same.