Drive to Ho Chi Minh
Another country meant another border crossing. The differences in architecture between the two border points were striking. The Cambodian side represented classic Southeast-Asian styles, with peaked roofs and long, dragon-neck appendages. A few hundred metres away, across no mans land, stood the Vietnamese buildings; modern, functional, and grey. In short stereotypically socialist. Dominating the front of the building was a tall obelisk statue capped by a stylised technological wheel. It evoked ideas of industry, progress, speed and the future. Communism was first and foremost an ideology of modernity.
On the Vietnamese side our visas and passports were checked four times in the space of 20 metres. Now thats efficiency for you. Why bother with unemployment when you can just create unnecessary jobs?
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Tags: Asia, Border, Ho Chi Minh, Travel, Vietnam
andrewlegon
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