The beaches look good...

Monday, June 19
Nha Trang is a famous get away in Vietnam due to the impressive beach that highlights the city waterfront onto the South China Sea.  The beach is miles long and is beautiful.  After having a snooze, we went out for a swim in the afternoon.  After checking things out, and determining the water might not be that safe due to the pollution, we headed back.  Cindy and I returned to the beach about 45 minutes later to take some pictures, and found the beach packed with thousands.  As the temperature cooled, and maybe as people got off work, the place filled up.  From afar the beach looks beautiful, but as one walks down the beach, the garbage is appalling.  Bags of garbage left, stuff washing onto shore, what a shame.  We have been explaining to the boys issues with infrastructure that do not permit the standard to cleanliness that we would expect in Canada, or compared with beaches in Australia and South Africa.  But ultimately garbage gets thrown onto the ground because that is what is done here.
Nha Trang at night is very nice (harder to see the garbage on the beach).  The beach walk has many water fountains and it is very busy.  A festival is going on and the activities are plentiful.  After a few days in smaller cities, we are back at having to be cautious and brave once again in our efforts to cross streets.  I understand that our street crossing abilities will be even more tested in Ho Chi Minh City.