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| -Short Attention Span Theater- |
| Oddity - Vietnam Tourism |
| 2009-08-24 |
| Posted by:Anonymoose |
| #7 Went three years ago on a milspec tour with the golden brigade 82nd. Hanoi sucked, but Hue, Da Nang and Saigon were good. Accomodations excellent, food not so good, transportation good, people freindly, Tiger beer better than "33". Emotional trip since we went to alot of the old battle grounds: friends lost, ghosts in the mist, ptsd stuff coming alive, but all in all worth every minute. |
| Posted by: bman 2009-08-24 16:05 |
| #6 I visited both Hanoi and Saigon in 2007. Capitalistic, low prices, good food, beautiful women, fantastic handiwork in needlepoint and lacquer, decent beer "33". I'm looking forward to going again. |
| Posted by: USMC6743 2009-08-24 12:49 |
| #5 P.J. O'Rourke had an interesting take on Vietnam in the last chapter of his book, All The Trouble In The World, entitled, “The Hell with Everything, Let’s Get Rich”. He concluded that, other than talk politics, Vietnam had become a capitalistic "Wild West". Though he observed that Hanoi has redeveloped into a jewel of a city, but Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), was still a decaying and crummy place, where corruption was rife and the people surly. |
| Posted by: Anonymoose 2009-08-24 11:31 |
| #4 Vietnam is where China was ten years ago. Communism is dead, but they still pay homage to their elder communism's for the sake of face. It's a game of cat and mouse between the old guard and the new guard. Most of the population is so capitalistic it's frightening. The women are beautiful and liberated, They are only waiting for the old guard to die off. What I find interesting is that the Chinese mimic white yanks, Vietnamese mimic the black culture. It's funny to watch end of day ceremonies lauding the fall of Saigon with break dance contests. As for the tourist seaside resorts, they are the best bargain in the world. Only problem is don't venture out in the countryside after dark, that's when the gangsters take over. The cities are safe, at least that's what I think, but the Vietnamese say diffident. |
| Posted by: tipper 2009-08-24 09:01 |
| #3 I vacationed in Vietnam in 1993, after it had JUST opened up to US tourists. It was a rather poor country by modern standards, but the locals were very gracious and friendly. Accommodations were spartan, and the food was marginal, but I was young and didn't mind. BEAUTIFUL women! The culture still seemed very "soviet" in many aspects, but they value tourist dollars and I always felt safe. Never noticed any government "handlers" following me around. Saigon had a bit of Bangkok's wild, freewheeling character, while Hanoi was much more quiet and "buttoned-down". I recommend it for any hearty traveler. |
| Posted by: Scooter McGruder 2009-08-24 04:08 |
| #2 Don't be sure > the Vietnam of the Cold War is all but gone. Some Guam locals have told me they love the place, + the US Dollar can get you a lot of stuff. IFF US$1.0 > "MILLIONAIRE" IN THE PHILIPPINES, YOU'RE A "BILLIONAIRE" IN VIETNAM??? |
| Posted by: JosephMendiola 2009-08-24 02:01 |
| #1 That video reminds me of the propaganda put out by the Nazis showing how well Jews lived in places like Theresienstadt. Somehow I think they're only showing what they want us to see and behind the scenes might tell a different story. |
| Posted by: Clyde Huponter4344 2009-08-24 01:11 |