Day at sea

Today I went on one of those organised trips again - this time to four of the small islands off Nha Trang. One of best day trips ever I think it is fair to say, and all for US$7 (OK, plus a few little extras on the way). The trip included lunch and a mountain of exotic fruits, and a crew in party mood. That's them doing the post-lunch entertainment - including the one in the middle who seemed just slightly embarrassed to have 2 half coconuts strapped round his chest!
Most of the customers were Vietnamese - including quite a few "ex-pats" who escaped from VN in the 70s and made new lives in the west. No boat people amongst them I think, but I heard some amazing stories. That's Lam-Phol in the picture and his daughter Hang - now both Danish citizens, and Paul (probably Phol originally too), now from Houston Texas and trying hard to look like just like "Uncle Ho" (Chi Minh) - I think as a kind of sarcastic gesture, but it seems to go down well with the locals. Sorry about the overexposure. Lam-Phol escaped on one of the very last American flights out of Vietnam, together with wife and 8 month old son.
We had a "floating bar" after lunch, where the rules were that you had to jump into the sea and use a lifebelt to swim up to the bar. That's me taking off (as elegantly as possible) and in the lifebelt. It wasn't the only time I was in the water or shirtless, and the result tonight is that I feel a bit barbecued in places. Did I mention the snorkelling too?
I'll attach one more picture, this time of a cable car arrangement from the mainland to Hon Tre (the largest local island). Maybe not an alternative to a new Forth Bridge, but pretty impressive anyway.
I could happily stay here for days, but am off on my continuing journey early in the morning - this time to Ho Chi Minh City (or Saigon as many folks still call it).

Two post scripts here: I can't edit photos on this computer (I've just discovered), and even worse news is that I have now learned that the Miss Universe Finals are due to be held here in Nha Trang on the 14th July, with the contestants arriving a week or so earlier.
PPS. Some pics now added.