Truely I am not sure where to start this visit. The first thought is that the people while very poor do work. Probably very hard. The country we saw was very poor. The first homes were tree leaf roofs and maybe some wood for a side, if there was a side to the house. As you move closer to the city the homes become very narrow and go straight up four five floors no elevators. If they are lucky enough to have a home, their business is as wide as their house. Some had no lights.
Another example
As we move closer to the city
And
They get anywhere by motorcycle/motor scooter. Everyone has one, and wears helmets. The traffic is nuts and they just go.
And parking puts Amsterdams bicycles a run for the most in one place! And This picture isn’t the entire lot!
As you can see from the pictures the place is dirty and fairly run down. While it is run by the communist party, the people don’t feel like they are communist. However, they are taxed heavily and own very little.
They are religious people, but they have 54 types of dialects and eight cultures living together, it is a regular melting pot.
We went to a Taoist temple. the incense were over whelming to smell. They explained people come to pray and make wishes. I decided to make a wish for my two boys. It is suppose to be for yourself but they need it more. I hope they come true.
It is a process you pray, make you wishes write them down , then take this coiled incense which is suppose to last for several weeks , burn it, and someone hangs it on the ceiling!
We then went to a museum with lots of old Chinese porcalin vases ans such and worshiped deity figures, like Budda.
Oh and how can I forget a mummy! Seriously!
We stopped at a lacquer factory. I thought it would be touristy, but it was intricate work and beautiful. I could have spent hours there. They were using duck egg shells and the pearl from shells.
We then went to a presidential palace turned museum. Reminded us of the White House. Lots of stuff from the Vietnam war. We went down into the bunker and saw the maps and phones, old communications stuff. It was interesting.
One of the highlights of the tour was lunch in a 5 star hotel. It was a buffet and had, fresh hot pot, pho, grilled fresh fish, sushi, you getting the idea?
The view from the infinity pool on the 25th floor of the city was amazing.
The rain does not stop the motor scooters totally. some stop for food. Others cope.
They use the motor scooters for everything, shopping, delivery, selling stuff.
This is their market for shopping.
On the way back to the ship we passed the rice paddies. Many people are farms living in the shack above. If lucky there may be one cow.
They seem to spend a good part of the day if not on their scooter scrunching down, like feet flat on the floor knees bent all the way, but your butt is not on the floor. The hang out like this, eat in the streets like this , it seems painful. They eat mostly rice. We saw veggies for sale lying Lon the ground.
I thought India was so bad, but if not as bad this is a close second. they have a long way to go to be a prosperous place.
It was a very long day nine hours out and about. I hope you enjoyed the pics.
PS. GO BACK AND LOOK AT SINGAPORE PICS. THEY DID NOT COME OUT AND I THINK I FIXED IT! Let me know if u see them now?
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