nha trang: a sleep-deprived nomad's half-baked chronicle

i've been in nha trang for three days now and i'm already emotionally attached to the chaos. the city feels like a mashup of beach town vibes and relentless tourism, but i'm here working remotely so i'm constantly hunting for decent wifi and a cold brew. the weather app says 28.7°C, feels like 27.4, humidity 23% - yeah, that's the kind of heat that makes your laptop throttle and your brain melt. i just checked and it's exactly that, hope you're not allergic to sweat. anyways, i'm typing this from a bamboo cafe that charges $2 for iced coffee and promises 'stable internet' (they lied, but it's fast enough for slack). i'm staying near the main strip, which is basically a long road of hotels, shawarma stalls, and t-shirt shops. here's a rough map of where i'm camped:

that little blue dot is my daily walk to the coworking space that i found on this dusty bulletin board at the hostel. the coworking place is called 'hive' and for $5 a day i get a dedicated desk, aircon, and a view of the fishing boats. i've met a few other nomads - a ux designer from berlin who never sleeps, and a copywriter from lisbon who drinks three espressos before lunch. i've also been exploring the street food scene because my budget can't handle restaurant prices every night. someone told me that the best phở in town is at a tiny stall called 'phở minh' near the night market. i heard the owner gets grumpy if you ask for extra herbs or if you take too long to order. another rumor: the 'sailing club' bar has the best sunset view but the cover charge is a total scam. i skipped it and just watched the sun go down from the public beach, which was free and equally stunning. if you're hungry, maybe scan yelp's latest seafood picks: Yelp seafood. i've noticed this strange statue of a topless woman near the roundabout that everyone just ignores like it's part of the scenery. it's kinda creepy but also kind of awesome.

last night i climbed up to a rooftop bar with white concrete floors that felt like i was dancing on a mirage. the view of the bay was insane, even if the drinks were overpriced. i almost slipped because the floor was slick with rain from the afternoon shower.

and then i saw a sign on the side of a building that said 'thalia the museum of comedy' and i lost my breath laughing. i still don't know if it's real or a prank but i need to find it.

if you get bored of the beach scene, da lat is a four-hour bus ride up into the clouds where the air actually feels cool and the flowers look like they're from an acid trip. or if you want something closer, cam ranh is just an hour south with quiet bays and almost no tourists. i've heard there's a tiny island called hon tre that you can kayak to in a couple hours if you start early enough. i keep an eye on the top things to do via tripadvisor's list: Nha Trang attractions. there's also a nomad board that shares real-time updates on cafe power outlets: Nomad List. and for the weirdest rumors i check the expat facebook group: Nha Trang Expats. i've been up until 3am most nights debugging code because the timezone difference with my clients back in the states is brutal. my circadian rhythm is shot, but i'm too stubborn to slow down. i guess that's the life of a digital nomad: chasing wifi, dodging sunburns, and chasing weird statues in the middle of southeast asia. anyways, if you end up here, bring mosquito repellent, a portable charger, and a sense of humor. the heat is real, the people are mostly friendly, and the baguettes are as good as they get. peace out.