First of all I found out, that my "stories" are getting longer and longer it seems.
Had a look at my own blogg the other day and was shocked by how much I actualle write..
Since I'm not getting any complains (it IS possible to COMMENT the story or picture!!) I guess it's ok. Just don't want to bore people..
Crossing into Vietnam was an experience. The officials at the border hadn't seen a foreigner in years I guess.
The cambodian side was easy enough, 10 minutes staring into my passport and all the stamps, they gave me the exit-stamp and gone I was.
The vietnamese on the other hand had to really try my patience. First I had to half-unpack my backpack. I mean, what's the point in looking at half of the stuff in the backpack? Maybe the gun is hidden down below??! One of the officers got really stuck with my book, looking at it, reading the english title, looking at random pages.. I didn't get it..
After they were satisfied (suddenly with no special reason) I was sent to the imigration. And THERE I really had to count to 10 several times- they didn't know how to use the computer to put in foreign numbers, they couldn't find the right stamps, there were more and more people appearing, everybody trying to help, but nobody had a clue!
Well in the end I made my way into Vietnam and all the way to Saigon (people here actually SAY Saigon, not Ho Chi Minh City!).
A big shock after all the small places in the last days. Zillions of cars and motorbikes, people and pollution.
On one hand i liked being in a big city again, nice to walk aropund, get the feeling of pulsing life, on the other hand it's stress. More than once I was shouting at people who wanted to sell me something or just wanted to help (but there is NO help in staring at my map if they cannot read a map).
After the first evening just checking out town I went the next day sightseeing. Saw some great places- the museum with war remenescants (?), the presidential palace, some chinese temple.
Especially the presidential palace made good impression. I took a lot of pictures. Just have a look yourself :) They really knew how to live as the president. Even though nobody was in the palace since 1976. Reminded me a lot of the "Palast der Republik" in Berlin.
Next day I went to Chinatown. Very different from other Chinatowns I've seen. Not like small streets, lots of street-stalls, shops all over the place. It was mostly big streets, lots of traffic and no chinese looking people.. Well, I walked around a bit, but went back to the river pretty fast.
All in all I think I like Hanoi better than Ho Chi Minh City, but I also spent much more time there..
The journey out of Saigon was a disaster. It's not just easy to "come back" to Vietnam after travelling in Laos and Cambodia. Like a dutch woman I met in Laos put it: "they truly think you are a walking ATM-machine"- much ,ore money-orientated (not to say greedy).
But the worst part is actually the cheating. Asking for 5 times the prize for things sold on the street is one thing, but on the way out of HCMC I really had to struggle. Some guys didn't let me go to the actual bus-station, I had to wait with them on the side of the road. Fair enough. Often they know much better than I do where the busses stop. But when the bus appeared they waved him down, helped me to get onboard and then asked for 500 000 dong (the actual prize is more like 30 000!!). I refused topay and after minutes of discussion we were allthe way down to 200 000. I still didn't want to pay that, so I got off the bus, walked the kilometre back to the bus-station and bought my ticket there (still 50 000, not 30 000 like the locals pay, but I can live with that).
I was so angry! And it happenes all the time..
There are more examples, like all the different persons (all the same age, hanging out in front of shopping malls) who have a relative in either Norway or Germany (depending on where I say I live), trying to make good friend to me. It's a long story, finally they try to trick me into buying jewellery. I'll tell you when I'm back home
I really get upset by these people trying to trick me. To cheat. Not good reputation for Vietnam..
I don't remember much of that from the north, maybe because it's more socialistic, maybe because I didn't know better then..
Anyway, when I finally got out of Ho Chi Minh I went to the Mekong delta. What a beautiful place!
I spent several days in different small towns along the Mekong (My Tho, Vinh Long, Can Tho), driving the boat on the river and through narrow channels, walking around. I visited small islands, saw bee-farms and a coconut-candy-factory (best candy I ever tasted- ok, ok, I'm a little dramatic here, bought a bunch of them, but don't think they are going to make it back to Europe,just too good..), a bonsai-garden and a brick-factory (pretty cool!). I went on a boat-trip to see the floating markets. Really fun!
I think a lot of tourists come here on an organized tour from HCMC, which means there is not much of a tourist infrastructure in these places, meaning mostly noodle-soup for breakfast, lunch and dinner :)
Anyway, I'm going to escape Vietnam. I'm not having a real good time arguing too much about money, getting too much angry about people trying to cheat me with an arrogant smile in their face..
It's a pitty 'cause I really wanted to see the highlands, drive around with one of the Easy Riders, but no.
I'm not going to visit the nice beaches either :( or Hoi An, which is supposed to be a great city..
For this time I just give up. I go to Singapore to celebrate he chnese New Year with the chinese and Olga and the kids (takk for invi Olga!!).
All in all I think Vietnm is a nice country and people are ok, just too big a shock after the welcoming cambodians..
