Vietnam/VietSHAM/VietSCAM

---

I know I know the title makes for a negative article, but the realtity of this place, is they hate the American people and ritfully so, but they LOVE they American Dollar. Everything has a price and here was our first example....we were calmly strolling down the street and happened to witness a man getting his haircut on the street by a barber, kind of novel idea and neat thing, so we took a picture right....well the barber throws his hand out for dollar because we took his picture, he is getting paid for his job that he is doing and getting business because it is a neat idea and yet he feels so special that we should pay him for a picture, like he is Celine Dion or something!!!
That is the tip of the iceberg, everywhere everything people are asking for money, not like normal countries they want more, all you got, soaking you at every turn, I would say this is the country where alot of the petty scams originate from, maybe tyring to make up for the years of poverty caused by the war, which I feel bad for, but hasselled at each turn is not my idea of fun.
A famous rock group once sang....Rock and roll ain't noise pollution.... but let me tell you the roads in Vietnam ARE! This is the loudest place ever, motorbikes and buses flood the streets and use their horns for every little motion they do. I thought Korea was bad, this is 10 times what that was.

Now is saying all that, the country side itself may be the nicest we have ever come across , besides the calming drive through Saskatchewan, this is right up there. Seriously the hills and the Ocean side drive, is remarkable, the only thing keeping up sane here.

I am not complaining I could be working, but it feels worse then work with all the hassling and badgering at every turn!

We are 23 days from going home, a little sad, but ready to hit the beaches in Thailand one last time.
For those who are coming here..... well we shortened our time by 11 days here, and we have not had a bad experience but not the best either, all experiences you get something from. other than that not much to say, after coming from LAos this is night and day and I miss floating down a river in tire tubes drinking beer in the relaxing surroundings of Vang Vieng...those were the days, smoke was smoke, holding hands meant something....

---