Once we hit highway and I realized this would be my prison for the next 5+ hours, I nearly burst into tears. I tried to fight back claustrophobia while wondering how much further the bus station could be.
We collected more and more passengers, squeezing into acrobatic shapes in order to accommodate the luggage and people teeming into the tiny vehicle. Despite being smacked in the face with the reality of Vietnam several times, we were still under the impression that this entitled us to a normal, human-sized bus. And of course we had paid for and been promised a normal, human-sized bus.
We didn’t bat an eye when the mini-van came to fetch us from our Dalat hotel, as it is common practice for these to deposit you at the main bus stations. It took me a few moments to unfold myself from the six hour mini-van ride we had taken, against our will, from Dalat to Mui Ne. But a whole country? That’s a bit harder to be so adamant about. I made it no secret that I loathed Saigon. It’s hard to articulate, in the grand scheme of things, why. But if I had a gun held to my head and had to confess my least favorite country, Vietnam would have that honor. I have plans to return and see the North. I’ll start off by saying I had a lot of fun times in Vietnam, and I saw some of the most beautiful vistas I have laid eyes on. Since that isn’t the kind of thing that Vietnam’s tourism board is going to gather data on, I only have my own experience to report. (Source: The Economist) What is keeping the vast majority of Vietnam’s visitors from returning? But here is what I find to be the most interesting statistic of all: Vietnam has a return rate of just 5% compared to Thailand’s impressive 55%. Yet, Vietnam brings in more visitor’s than neighbor Cambodia, who boasts the bucket-list destination of Angkor Wat. Vietnam: 3.7 million (up to 6 million in 2011)įor two countries so close together and with so much coastline, there is a staggering difference between Thailand’s 14 million visitors and Vietnam’s 3.7 million. Thailand: 14 million (up to 19 million in 2011) Malaysia: 22 million (skewed somewhat by Singaporean residents) All figures are from 2009 unless noted, the most recent year statistics are available for most countries). Take a look at these statistics on numbers on international tourists (Source: Each country’s tourism board. What is it about Vietnam that sparks these reactions? It’s not just anecdotal, either. Its detractors spew b itterly about the traffic, the crime, and most of all: the unfriendly people. Its fans wax poetic about the breathtaking landscape, the intriguing culture and the resilient population.
Hate it or love it tv#
Game hasn't forgotten about the song, either, as he recently performed "Hate It Or Love It" on Skee TV and dissed Young Thug with a quick live freestyle during the song.I can think of very few countries that inspire as passionately varied reactions from travelers as Vietnam does. We won't be hearing 50 on the Documentary 2, but we will hear production from both of the track's producers, Cool & Dre and the other D.R.E. Of course, we can't forget the G-Unit remix, which would appear on 50 Cent's The Massacre two months later, but this is the OG. Since, after one of the decade's top beefs, they've gone separate ways, but "Hate It Or Love It" remains a shining moment in hip-hop history. At the time, Game was signed to 50's G-Unit, and both were signed to Dre's Aftermath. The album is the sequel to, and arrives over 10 years after, The Documentary, his 2005 debut album, off which this classic, "Hate It Or Love It," is taken. Today's #TBT is in honor of The Game, who will release his sixth studio album, Documentary 2, tomorrow (Oct. 1 MAKE IT STOP Today's #TBT is The Game and 50 Cent's "Hate It Or Love It," one of the best tracks of the '00s.