I'm just about to board the plane for a trip to Luang Prabang, Laos, and then to Vietnam, where I'll be visiting my new friends at Vietnamnet in Hanoi. VNN's founder and CEO Tuan Nguyen visited the Berkman Center last week - see David Weinberger's writeup here. I'll probably also visit Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Watch the Technorati Vietnam and Laos tags for photos - though I'm not sure what my connectivity will be like in Laos.
Right now, there aren't many Vietnamese bloggers - most of the blogs coming out of there are written by expatriates and travelers. That could change quickly, however, as the internet is developing fast there. I'll blog more about the situation from the ground.
Connectivity should be fine in Vientiane (adsl) and existing but slow in Luang Prabang. At least it was about a year ago! Good luck and have fun!
Posted by: Pierre Andersson | April 11, 2005 at 02:42 AM
Vietnam's internet cafes are hit or miss. Luckily, if you miss, there are thousands of other places to try out pretty close by. I think in many ways, the internet's development has a head-start in places like China and Vietnam in terms of technology and affordability.
Posted by: Matt Waters | April 11, 2005 at 06:02 AM
this is a worthwhile read for a good cause
http://www.cpi.org/cpiblog/archives/000258.php
Posted by: /pd | April 11, 2005 at 12:30 PM
Rebecca, I'm compiling a list of blogs in Vietnam. Take a look here:
http://www.noodlepie.com/blog/2005/04/vietnam_blogs.html
Enjoy your trip. Look forward to seeing this joint through your eyes.
Posted by: pieman | April 17, 2005 at 06:51 AM
Hi Rebecca,
I'm from Vietnam and now I'm studying in Korea. I just watched the conversation between you and Mr. Tuan throught the Vietnamnet website. Thank you very much for your interesting discussion. I'm looking forward to your new blogs about your experience in Ha Noi and Ho Chi Minh city.
With best wishes.
Posted by: Quyen | April 20, 2005 at 04:46 AM