CRAZY FOREIGNERS

Why wouldn't you go swimming at 6:00 am? Everyone else does! Well actually, no.
We were at one of the world's most beautiful bays, staying in the city of Nha Trang. We had arrived late the previous June day at our beachfront hotel. As I looked out the window at 6:00 am the next morning I saw hundreds of people already on the beach and in the water. The following morning, preparing for an early flight, I looked out the window at 5:15 am. Dozens of Vietnamese were in the water and the beach was filling up quickly.
This was shocking and totally out of line for any native Canadian. Mornings are cool but by mid day it is warm and time to go to the beach. Unless you are one of those hardy people who enjoy a refreshing (read cold) start to your summer day, early morning swims are avoided.
But of course in a tropical climate, mornings are warm and mid-day is really hot. And if your skin is naturally brown, you have no need or desire to work on a tan. So what I observed on two mornings in Nha Trang, is part of a typical day at the beach for Vietnamese vacationers. Start your day early and enjoy the beach and the ocean. By 11:00 am retire to your room, a restaurant, somewhere cool. Then about 3:00 or 4:00 pm, go back to the beach for two or three more hours.
One American friend commented: "This works really well for crazy foreigners. After sleeping in on vacation, by the time we get to the beach, the crowd is gone and the place is ours." After all, only crazy foreigners would choose to be at the beach during the hottest time of day, when the sun is directly overhead.