By Kyle Long

Within the first five minutes of exiting the airport I got a pretty good sense of what I was going to find in Vietman. Arriving here can be a bit of a shock at first, especially if you’ve just spent the last week relaxing in some of the country’s more laid-back neighbors, such as Laos or Cambodia.

“No minibus, you wait long time,” a man told me as I arrived at the taxi-stand. “Taxi leave now.” We proceeded to the airport-to-downtown minibus, as per the suggestion by the lady I spoke with at the information desk, paid our $2 each, and promptly sped away in about three minutes. Yes it was cramped, but saving $10 for a 45 minute-ride feels pretty good when you’re watching every cent. (more…)