Old and new memories in Nha Trang and Tuy Hoa

March 8th, 2023 We flew from Thailand back into Nha Trang about two weeks ago. Nha Trang is a coastal town that was a base for many U.S. Soldiers in the war, including my dad, Leo. He and my mom met there, where she worked as a waitress at the Officer's Club. My mom knew little English at the time, but they fell in love quickly, and in his absence, he would write her love letters that a coworker would interpret. Within a year of meeting, she came to America to get married. About 50 years later, the town was near unrecognizable to my mom. We drove around nonetheless, identifying the street she used to live on, the grounds of the former Army base where she met my father, and the roads she traversed daily to and from work. During our visit, my mom sat alone on the hotel balcony each morning after breakfast, taking in the ocean views and, I imagine, soaking in the memories she made many years ago. We spent four days in Nha Trang and then made our way back to Tuy Hoa, which is about 2 hours north. The first day we were back, the orthopedic surgeon cleared Abby as her bone had fully healed, and her wound was significantly improved. We are in the final throws of wound care today, and I believe she will be fully healed in about a week…praise God! With Abby cleared, we could now play in the sand again and do some sightseeing around Tuy Hoa. We thoroughly enjoyed our 12 days back in the city, visiting with family, enjoying the sun, and riding our bikes around town. Drew was able to help my aunt and uncle repair some cracks in their walls, and he and I spent a day painting their kitchen. They live in the house my grandma built and where my mother grew up. We also treated everyone to an American-ish meal one night consisting of white chicken chili, Caesar salad, guacamole, burgers, apple crisp, and chocolate and peanut butter cookies. All were a hit, thankfully! It was nice to treat them for a change; they were so kind and generous to us throughout our stay.
  • The street my mom lived on with her older sister, after she left home to find work during the War.
  • The Vietnamese Naval Academy occupies part of the grounds of the former U.S. Army Base - Binh Tan - where my parents met. The view from our hotel shows the larger area.
  • There were two Joint Air Bases near Nha Trang during the War. One was located in Cam Ranh Bay, outside of the city, and was a major site for Army, Air Force, and Naval Forces. It now serves as an International Airport and the surrounding area is home to some of the finest resorts in Vietnam. The other, pictured with the yellow exterior below, was Nha Trang Air Base. Nha Trang Air Base was first opened by the French in the 1950's and was utilized until 2009 by the Vietnamese Air Force. It was located adjacent to our hotel, also in a prime location off the coast, and is now being sold for development. During my last trip to Nha Trang, I noticed a large amount of Russians - to the point where many menus were printed in Russian and Vietnamese. I learned on this trip that from 1979, four years after the fall of South Vietnam, until 2002, the Soviets and then Russians occupied the Cam Ranh Bay Naval Base.
  • The beach road is what my mom traveled down each day on her way to work at the Officer's Club.
  • We stayed the at the Vinpearl Condotel Beachfront in Nha Trang. The Kid's Club included a variety of activities and a caring and fun staff.
  • Across the water, we had a clear view of VinWonders which occupies Hon Tre Island and includes a waterpark, amusement park, aquarium, zoo, and multiple Vinpearl resorts. We would love to visit next time we are in town when Abby can run around and enjoy every bit of it.
  • Nem Nuong is a grilled pork sausage that you eat with rice paper and all of the fixings, including shaved mango. My mom had been craving it so we tried to find one of the recommended places in town. The three story restaurant was packed so we felt confident we made a good choice!
  • Breakfast at the hotel hit the spot for us all - they had everything from Vietnamese soup, steamed rice cakes, and stir-frys, to made-to-order eggs, pancakes, and waffles.
  • We were thankful for many sunny days when we arrived back to Tuy Hoa. The wind was strong, however, as were the waves. So we waded in the water only about thigh high to avoid the heavy undertow and enjoyed the beachside pool for swimming.
  • Our first weekend back, the family rented a bus (a full sized bus!) to see the major sites around Tuy Hoa. We first visted Mang Lang Catholic Church, one of the oldest in Vietnam.
  • Next, we went to Ganh Da Dia, a beautiful natural cliff formation, similar to the Giant's Causeway in Ireland.
  • Prior to stopping at the Thanh Luong Pagoda, we ate at a restaurant that specilializes in deer meet and, as usual, had an abudance of dishes including steamed, stir-fried, and deer curry.
  • The medical staff was professional and efficient and we wanted to thank them for taking such good care of Abby so she worked on thank you cards and delivered them the following week.
  • Bach Ngoc Bakery did an amazing job of boxing up pastries so I could keep them dry on the rainy ride over to visit family.
  • My aunts Di Hanh and Mo De are exceptional chefs and hostesses.
  • One morning, we took a bike ride to visit the Nhan Temple and Martyr's Memorial.
  • A few of our cousins came to visit us at the poolside bar one day for coffee and while there helped Abby and Lincoln catch a pet crab.
  • American night - hosted by us!
  • Some of our favorite Moore family time was bumper cars each night before bed (the venue was directly across the hotel so very convenient) and jumping competitions in the ball pit. We invited our greater family to join us for bumper cars on our last night. My mom and her siblings participated as well - it was a blast!
  • 30 years ago, my mom and I took took pictures in traditional ao dis in front of her old home, where my Uncle Cau Vinh and aunt Mo De now live. We bought new ao dis on this trip, coicidentally the same color as in the past. Our family dressed up as well for the occasion! Abby and Lincoln enjoyed playing samurai in their outfits.
  • In their traditional fashion, all of our family that was able to get away from work joined us at the airport to say good-bye. We will miss them dearly and hope to visit again early next year.