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This is not
a travel guide, it is not an academic abstract about Vietnam or its
people. It is about personal impressions and reflections which of course
are subjective. But I want to share some of my feelings to encourage
the dear surfer to learn more about this beautiful country and its
wonderful people.
I started my journey in April 2000 with just a airlineticket and a
hotel reservation for the first night in Hano in my hand. I bought
all other tickets, transport, accomodation within Vietnam on the way.
This is not
difficult at all. The primary adress to do so is mostly a cafe, offering
tickets and tours. More and more there are also some travel bureaus
available, sometimes, like the famous Kim travel in Saigon. To plan
that trip I used a German travel book, but there are lots of them available,
in English language. I recommend The Lonely Planet series.
Although
my information was not older then two years, some information was obsolete
already. Daily life was much easier, then described. I did not have
any problems with the local administration, police does not bother
tourists, there are cybercafes everywhere and all kinds of services
to allow easy travelling. Most houses also in the countryside in Northern
Vietnam have a TV-antenna. In hotels I found international TV channels,
shopping is easy. Shops are usually family business but there are also
supermarkets. Baguette is offered frequently (more in the north of
the country)! There is Toyota, Goldstar, Bosch, Marlboro and,
yes, Coca Cola.
Accomodation: All levels of Hotels and Guesthouses are available. We
always had big rooms, sometimes a suite with a big refrigerator for
less than 34 $. Do you like the Army? Also the Army has to earn its
money so they rent rooms in barracks, rather simple with common shower.
I read about it with no personal information.
Vietenam is still not discovered for mass tourism if you travel outside
the big cities. Sometimes it is less developped, but that is also part
of the special charme such a travel has. If you like, you quickly can
contact the locals. Many of them are very open and tell their life
story to you.
Finally, it is interesting, the people, also the older ones look slim
and physically fit, sometimes 50 year old men still work as a Cyclo
driver (bycicle rikshaw) and they definitely don't look stressed. But
there are also everywhere handicapped people visible, mostly from the
American war. Sometimes hard to look at. But they have to earn their
living also.
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