Vietnam
Vietnam has left an ambiguous impression. It is in much better state than e.g. Cambodia, but it is still very much of a developing country. Bloomberg was recently giving advices on how to invest in Vietnam, due to its economic growth. Well, there is much room for it...
Saigon was dynamic and wild, and also modern, though definitely had all attributes of developing Asian city. Small cities on the cost line were quite interesting, although one of them reminded on some Soviet resort - red flags everywhere, huge hotels, empty restaurants and no people around. Maybe it was due to off-season.
Hanoi over New Year's Eve was truly weird. No single firework. Maybe they celebrate Chinese New Year in a more appropriate for a capital of a country way, but for the New Year's Eve they just shut down lights on the place, considered to be a center of the city: Hoan Kiem Lake. People were just walking around, and policemen were shouting something into their megaphones. They then just started push people away from the lake. I think it was the weirdest New Years Eve I ever had. But somehow it was still fun! :)
People in Vietnam were quite different depending on the location. In tourist places everyone wants to sell you something, and at some point it becomes quite annoying... Quite often you get a feeling they just want to rip you off... In more local places people treat you well, despite the fact you don't even speak their language. Then, once you stay in a place for couple of days, relationships start forming up, and people turn out to be very kind and warm. Once they stop seeing you only as wealthy foreigner with a dollar sign on a forehead, and recognize a person behind this sign, things change.
I don't know if I am coming back to Vietnam any time soon, but I believe it's still an interesting country to visit and experience.
More is still to come...
Everywhere in Vietnam...
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