Sunday, November 12. Left the hotel on a walkabout at 8AM. Discovered that there is a performance on the steps of the Opera House every Sunday morning. Gorgeous outfits. One male singer is an American who speaks/sings flawless Vietnamese. Nearby there was a production of some kind of propaganda film with two main singers and a cast of dozens. Two cameras and one drone. Some singers were dressed in military or utility workers’ outfits. Singers lip-synced something that included a lot of pointing to the sky (I assume the words were “Ever upward, Vietnam!”).
After an hour I was dripping sweat. Returned to the room, showered. Paid $40 for late checkout. Around 1PM I ventured forth again. Thai Lunch with AC. Then walked to the local market once again, buying nothing once again. Returned to the room, showered. I checked out at 5:30 and, with fellow travelers, went once again to the Irish bar. Quesadilla stuffed with chili. Had to ask that they put cheese in it. Not very Vietnamese, nor very Irish.
The airport process was odd in that ALL the employees (i.e., women) wore the same Vietnamese-style clothing. Normally counter and gate people wear the airline’s outfits. One consistent thread throughout Vietnam is self-sufficiency, said to beat back Chinese cultural and financial encroachment. Checked into a Lounge, showered. Now I’m sitting in a lounge in Japan on a 6 hour layover. I may shower.
To recap, Thailand was very interesting, though the wealth gap was disturbing. Laos was dirt poor, but the children’s school and town festival were great. Cambodia was not quite as poor, but the wealth gap returned. Angkor Wat is not to be missed. Vietnam had exciting traffic and many other features that caught the eye, but I’m not sure our guide was very candid about downsides.
Though the title of the Tour was “Four Kingdoms” a more appropriate title might have been “Man’s Killer Instinct”. In each country we were shown recent historical events where people died, in great numbers and/or great barbarity. It was an educational experience, but not something I’d ever want to do again.
