52. Vietnam, as touristic as you wish

A touristic trip in Vietnam - By Pierre with Bila

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- Travelling by bus all across the country, we have drawn up our road on a path that worthes being in a tourist agency's program: here are the splendours of the Dragon of Asia in images.
Vinh Long in Mekong Delta

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- Boat trip on the Mekong. We discovered that the pointed hat cliché about Vietnamese is mainly true in the countryside.
On the way to the floating market of Cai Be

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- Yesteryear the wooden boats was the mean of transportation on the Mekong. Thousands of wooden boats were interfering to go to market or to the city.
- Now they are reduced to tourist ride and market. The Mekong delta is henceforth populated with containers of cereal.
Rice terraces in Sa Pa

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- Rice cultures are still the most predominant source of income in the hills of the north west of the country,
- How beautiful are the espaliers of rice!
A family work

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- Uprooting the shoots of rice and making lumps of them. Everyone in the family has a task to contribute. Agriculture is the main livelihood of the country.
The plower having its mud bath

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- Buffalos lead the coulters of the plough and return the earth from the rice fields. And during their break, they take a good bath in the sun.
Homestay at Hau Thau in a Black H'mông family

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- We chose to live one day kn a H'mông tribe and were introduced to Song's family. We went there though local trails, passing close by two fields of marijuana.
- We learn to say "co-nio hi" for hello and "otcho" to thank in H'mông language.
Halong Bay

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- Unmissable, this set of rocky islets exceeding the sea provides ideal conditions for a cruise.
Sunset/Sunrise over the bay

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- After swimming and kayaking, another activity to do is contemplating the most beautiful moments of the day on board of our boat.
The atmosphere of Da Lat

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- Da Lat is a haven of rest for Western backpackers. With its temperate climate, its green mountains, it's a dreamy place to recharge.
Hue, former imperial city

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- In 1802, the Nguyen dynasty chooses Hue as capital of the current Vietnam which they took control of.
The heart of the imperial city

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- The citadel built for the Emperor was design to show his supremacy. Sadly the Versailles of Vietnam has been damaged by the war and time.
Hoi An

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- The old commercial capital of Champas has kept its own style inside the old town, classified by UNESCO.
My Son, the damaged Angkor Wat of Vietnam

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- This complex of hindu temples from IV to XIV century, was ravaged by the U.S. bombing during the Vietnam war.
War Remnants Museum

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- Let's talk about the war! 1945, Ho Chi Minh declared the independence of Vietnam, while France resisted until 1954, the defeat of Dien Bien Phu.
- The Vietnam then got split into the Communists in the North supported by the USSR and south capitalist supported by the USA. The second Indochina War ended with the victory of North in 1975 and Saigon has been renamed in Ho Chi Minh City.
- The use of napalm, the orange gas by the U.S. had considerable effects and abuses were dramatic for the country. The intensive use of military armament (napalm in particular) by the American cowboys was ineffective against a guerrilla formed and armed by the Russian. This merciless war had dramatic effects for the country.
- Since 1975, the Socialist Republic of Vietnam tried to integrate into the Communist system despite the cleavage between the population north/south: total fail. Finally in 1990, small businesses were authorized and started to grow in the country. Today Vietnam learns to the power of money and the possibilities it offers. It fell in the trap of a shameless capitalism despite a government led by the Communist Party. Interesting?
My finales impressions of Vietnam

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- Vietnam is a land of dreams rich in unique and varied tourist attractions, and landscapes that print the best memories.
- But the robbery, the vulgarity, the brutality, the lack of public-spiritness of an urban population focused on the financial benefits of the tourism make me hope I missed a part of the trip. So I bought a scooter to enter into the countryside, to see the traditional Vietnam. To be continued...
- Videos of Vietnam:
- https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL-CUk3xAtkr7lWHdpaxZa2dOdUmJ_1RFu

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