Bach Dang Street
I studied a map of Nha Trang posted at a bus stop and was able to locate Bach Dang Street. The neighborhood street angles north and west from a major route which parallels the beach, two blocks in.
I mentally noted the billiard hall and traffic light marking the angled intersection. Bach Dang was speckled with outdoor eateries, hardware and appliance shops - others cluttered with groceries, a corner fruit stand, one perimeter of a market-place, and numerous walled offices or residences. Bulky mobile kiosks were anchored at fixed daily locations selling common, everyday convenience items like satellite 7-11s. An array of weathered, wooden, hand-pushed carts with glass display cases crept the street - offering everything from plastic bowls of traditional meals to keys made or trash collection.
Only two of the five cross-streets that I passed had stop signs. Traffic of mostly motorbikes and bicycles continually moved - mixing and merging from all directions in an orderly, courteous manner. I walked about half a mile looking for the address Ken had given me. The number fell between those of a beauty shop and a doctors office which stood on either side of an alleyway. The slash number of the Bach Dang address indicated one of the residential buildings which lined the neatly paved alley.
I found the tall and narrow house behind a black iron gate and tiled 'yard' which was just deep enough for a motorbike. Tall double doors to the living room were open and Ken and Lucy, his five month old brown and white terrier pup, emerged to let me in.
