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| VIETNAM |
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| Cheerful peasants in conical hats work in vast stretches of rice fields. Apple-cheeked children in traditional threads ride placid buffaloes. Tombs, pagodas and archaeological sites dot this ancient landscape. And streets are given endearingly explanatory names: Pickled Fish Street and Wooden Bowls Street, to name just two. That this charming country is most commonly remembered for its war with America is most unfair. The country is a gracious host to those who come as guests. |
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Ho chi minh city
Saigon, as Ho Chi Minh City is called by everyone but its officials, is the big beating heart of Vietnam. And you cannot help but be sucked into its pace. Its exotic markets, all life and colour, selling exquisite silks and spices. Its busy streets lined with gourmet restaurants and some excellent food stalls. And its people — whizzing by on motorbikes, or walking down the streets — constantly on the move but happy to help. Though bewildering at first sight, Saigon is quick to befriend. |
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Hanoi
If you look past its streets swarming with motorbikes; Hanoi adopts a tempo that’s much more relaxed than Saigon. People performing t’ai chi with steady calm. Men languidly sipping bia hoi (beer) watching cars speed by, unaffected by their pace. Wispy-bearded old men pondering over a game of Xiangqi (Chinese chess). And friendly locals who include tourists into their conversations as a matter of course. Notwithstanding its long history of invasions, renaming and restorations, Hanoi refuses to be ruffled. |
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