Karl G. is talking about his life in Cafe Mecca
Visiting Nha Trang in early September, I was surprised to see how much the small town has changed over recent years. The former quiet, charming town has become a vibrant and exciting tourism city with numerous hotels and cafes mushrooming in many city areas. Foreign tourists are seen either having a leisure stroll along the beach or chatting jubilantly in coffee shops. According to local folks, the city does not only greatly attract foreign tourists; some have even fallen in love with the place and decided to stay long-term here.
I was able to meet with one of the foreigners who are living in Nha Trang to find out what has drawn him to this seaside city. Karl G. is a resigned electrical engineer from Switzerland who has been living in Nha Trang for six years. He used to work with some overseas Vietnamese in an electrical business in Switzerland. On the advice of his Vietnamese colleagues, Karl visited Vietnam in 2004 and immediately after that, he chose Nha Trang as a second home to spend the rest of his life.
The 76-year-old Karl said, “I love Nha Trang for its relaxed lifestyle, people’s warmness and mild weather”. Despite the language barrier, Karl has settled down quite comfortably in the city. He lives on his own in a rented house and goes around town either on foot or by a bicycle. Every year, he returns to Switzerland and stays there for two months, mainly to receive his pension and settle payment for various utility bills of his apartment.
Karl G. is riding his bicycle on Tran Phu Boulevard
Karl has pretty much adapted to the small town and leads a simple, quiet and carefree life. Like any senior citizen in Nha Trang, he gets up early to exercise on the beach every morning, takes a mid-day nap of about one hour every day, and has vegetarian meals at Long Son pagoda twice a month. He loves local food like pho (beef noodle soup), nem nuong (grilled meat balls) and cha ram (spring rolls).
As a nice, pleasant expatriate, Karl is popular with local folks. When I met with him, he seemed to be happy and content with the life in Nha Trang. Answering my questions about the inconveniences that he has experienced in the daily life here, he said they were “beach hygiene, chaotic traffic, and dogs’ feces”.
According to Karl, the city’s sandy beach looks fine after each cleanup by sanitation workers. However, some people, including tourists, who camp on the beach might litter and leave the mess behind after they finish their weekend holiday. Besides, people’s leisure activities on the beach are often disrupted by motorbikes riding on the paved paths across the beach park with
The enchanting sandy beach of Nha Trang
no policeman in sight to stop them.
Many vehicles are found running on the left in Nha Trang streets, so local police should have stricter control over the traffic. As for the problem with dogs, Karl sprays pepper powder on the pavement to prevent stray dogs from spreading their droppings in front of his house.
Though the current regulation does not allow Karl to have a multiple Vietnam visa, he does not mind renewing his tourist visa every three months. It is his hope that the visa regulation would change in the future so that he could stay permanently in Nha Trang.
