The Kiddie Park

Last night we headed out for a cruise around town on our bicycles and stopped at a large park at the city's downtown kiddie cultural center. Every town in Vietnam has a similar little fun zone, a hodge podge of loudly painted carnival rides, screeching speakers playing out of tune children's songs, candy snacks, and bright flashing lights. Parts of it were a little bit scary for Team Scuppy, but the train was a real hit. Every evening in Vietnamese cities, a few hundred parents and kiddies hang out at such parks enjoying the rides. While my initial aesthetic response to such a place is of a holdout of impoverished, Soviet-style Socialism, upon hanging out on the trains with Team Scuppy I think its impressive that a society dedicates such downtown spaces for children. In addition to Vietnam being one of the best places on Earth for food, it may also be one of the most kid-friendly places, especially for a developing country.