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Planet Earth, Vietnam

Ho Chi Minh’s vibrant streets

posted by Aleksandra Wisniewska
Dec 1, 2016 5386 0 0
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A two-storeyed, angular building with grey walls, stained with mould and mildew. Sandwiched between other, similarly begrimed by torrential rains of the monsoon season, a sizzling sun of the dry period, and fumes of everyday heavy traffic. 

The first-floor windows extend to a view of thick black electric cables running through the entire length of the street. Bright with neon signs ground floor vibrates with life.

“What is it going to be today?” asks a tiny woman, with a sigh of relief removing from her shoulders two baskets. Both, connected with a bamboo stick, are overflowing with fresh fruits.

“As usual. Some apples, dragon fruits and lychees.” replies a lady owner of the scooter rental shop and halfway stops sweeping the parking lot. Instead, she reaches to a standing nearby container with cold water, fills in a plastic cup and gives it to the street vendor.

“Thank you. The heat today is impossible again.” selling lady accepts gratefully refreshing liquid and adjusting a cane-woven, conical hat on her head asks: “Husband is not in today?”

“Oh, no, no! He is in! Over there, in the shade” the shop owner replies, pointing towards a row of scooters behind her. There, in a cooler, shady corner, stretched through seats of three vehicles lies the business owner. Fast asleep. In an elegant, white shirt, black suit pants – he is ready at any time to strike a deal. Even in his sleep.

Next to him, on a makeshift, tiny, portable grill a hawker barbeques meat and seafood. The mouth-watering fragrance of grilled chicken and prawns in hot soy sauce fills the air. At the corner – a trolley stand with soft and hard drinks. In the shade of its umbrella customers haggle with the sellers. A group of local men, near the cigarettes kiosk, roars with laughter. They watch a young tourist and his photographic object – an owner of the cigarettes stand blissfully snoring under the shelter of his cane-woven hat.

A sudden noise on the street turns their attention. In the middle of the road lay a scooter and its cargo – tied with strings and ropes stack of cardboard boxes. As nothing ever happened, the driver gets up, flicks the dust from his clothes and adjust slightly slanted helmet. Observers of the incident slowly and nonchalantly step into the non-stopping traffic. Countless cars and scooters magically avoid them as if an invisible magnetic field surrounded them.

“Is it secured? Won’t it tip over?”

“No no, it’s good now.”

“Okay, then let’s load it up. One, two, threeeee.”

“Pull! Pull harder!”

“Great! Done! Are all the boxes loaded?”

“Yes, yes! All fifteen. Thank you! I’m on my way to pick up a bed frame and all these are to be delivered to a customer beforehand.”

Dispersing men are passed by a scooter with a family glancing at the occurrence. A five-year-old toddler, standing on a footrest in front of dad-driver, opens his mouth in astonishment. At the back, mum tries to keep in place two youngest offspring, who are lifted from her safe embrace by extreme curiosity.

 

The fascinating history of Ho Chi Minh City.

Since 1976 Ho Chi Minh is the official name of the city formerly known as Saigon. After South Vietnam had lost in the Vietnam War, Saigon was renamed in honour to the leader of the Communist revolution, the prime minister and later president of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam. The population of this located in the south-eastern part of Vietnam metropolis consists of 10 million people and makes is the most populous region in the country. Ho Chi Min has a very humid (approx. 80%) and hot (average temperature 28°C) climate, with two main seasons: rainy (May – October) and dry (December – April).

The origins of Ho Chi Minh City are inconspicuous. Ancient times find it, as a small fishing village, Prey Nokor. The area covered vastly with swamps and marshes is originally inhabited by the Khmer. It passes in the hands of the Vietnamese in the seventeenth century on the occasion of a marriage between Vietnamese princess and the Khmer prince. Matrimony is intended to prevent constant assaults on the Khmer by Vietnamese. Gradually, however, it is Vietnamese who take over the area and the Khmer of Mekong Delta become a minority, almost entirely separated from their compatriots in Cambodia. Those, weakened by ongoing wars with Thailand, are not able to recapture their lands. In time, Prey Nokor transforms into Saigon – a thriving and steadily growing port.

In 1859 Saigon falls under the French occupation. The remains of an architectural and cultural heritage of this period contribute to the city’s nickname: Paris of the Orient. It was not until nearly 100 years later, in 1945, when Vietnamese regain independence. For the next decade, Vietnam is divided into the South and the North. Supported by the United States South (with Saigon, as the capital) fights against the communist North, under the leadership of Ho Chi Minh. In 1976, after the South losing the Vietnamese War, Saigon is renamed to Ho Chi Minh City – in memory, to the late political leader.

Know before you go

  • TIPS
  • LOCATION
  • TIME
  • PRICE

TIPS

Scooters are Saigon’s phenomenon. There is plenty of them everywhere and quite often they avoid following the traffic rules and regulations. Similarly to other vehicles. Crossing the street resembles crossing the Red Sea by Moses. Once you step on the road, a continuous stream of machines divides and you can pass unscathed. A major rule is to avoid running through the street.  The recommended pace – slowly and steady.

If walking around the town is not an appealing option, you can rent a scooter. There is plenty of rental shops in Ho Chi Minh. You can either go to a random one spotted along the way or find a rental shop online. An average price per day – 200,000VND / 9USD. A driving license is a must.

Another option for getting around Saigon are taxis or bicycle rickshaws. While the rides are both efficient and effective, you need to be on guard when it comes to related charges. In the taxis, you need to make sure that the taximeter is on. If it comes to a tuk-tuk ride, you need to explicitly agree on the price at the very beginning of the trip. Unfortunately, the last option does not always work, and the final fee can drastically change.

Sample taxi fare: 10km – 200,000VND / 9USD

LOCATION

Ho Chi Minh lies in the south-eastern part of Vietnam.

TIME

It is the best to avoid the rainy season between May and October. Torrential rains, not only spoil exploring the city but also flood roads, making it difficult to move around and visit the neighbouring area.

PRICE

Currency – Vietnamese Dong (1 USD = 22,378VND)

Vietnam is an affordable place, although its growing popularity does contribute to the steady rise in prices. A sample budget per night in a four-star hotel in a period of June-July starts from 35USD / 781,000VND per night. Restaurant prices range between 2.5USD / 56,000VND and 50USD / 1,116,000VND depending on the eatery. Of course, there are places where a meal costs a few hundred dollars, which translates into millions of Vietnamese dongs. Budget travellers will enjoy very widespread in Vietnam street stalls offering local delicacies at prices starting from just 0.50USD / 11,100VND.

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[English below] Trzydniowa Japonia w pigułce rozn [English below]
Trzydniowa Japonia w pigułce rozniosła nam głowy. Kilka lat później przeprowadziliśmy się do niej na sześć miesięcy. Kraj przez pół roku konsekwentnie i nieodwracalnie przepalał nam styki. Dlatego nie zdziwiliśmy się wcale, kiedy kilka lat później w Wołgogradzie po meczu Polska-Japonia kibice naszych rywali zabrali się za porządkowanie stadionowych trybun. Co kiedyś mogłoby wywołać uśmiech politowania i wymowny gest posuwisto-zwrotny palcem wskazującym w stronę czoła, dziś było tak oczywiste, że aż trzeba się było dołączyć. Wcale nas nie zdziwiło, że przed stadionem rzesze japońskich fanów gratulowało Polakom tak żarliwie, jakbyśmy wcale nie grali o pietruszkę. Przy tym wszyscy byli tak urzekająco szczęśliwi naszym… hmm… szczęściem, jakby sami właśnie wygrali puchar. Wymianom szalików, koszulek nie było końca. Andrzej wrócił chyba z trzema. W tym jedną vintage z rozgrywek w latach dziewięćdziesiątych ubiegłego wieku. Co prawda juniorska, ale przynajmniej na jedno z nas pasuje.
-----
Three-day Japan, in a nutshell, blew our minds. A few years later, we moved in there for six months. The country has been consistently and irreversibly frying our brains for half a year. That's why we weren't at all surprised when, a few years later, in Volgograd, after the Poland-Japan match, our rivals' fans started cleaning up the stadium stands. What once might have caused a smile of pity and a back-and-forth gesture with the index finger towards the forehead was now so obvious that we had to join in. We were not at all surprised that in front of the stadium, crowds of Japanese fans congratulated the Poles as passionately as if we were not playing for honour at all. And everyone was so charmingly happy with our… hmm… victory as if they had just won the cup themselves. There was no end to the exchange of scarves and T-shirts. Andrzej came back with at least three, including one vintage from the 1990s. It's a junior size, but it fits at least one of us.
[English below] Tak, jak obiecał, przyszedł w po [English below]
Tak, jak obiecał, przyszedł w poniedziałek z samego rana. Przyszedł jak zwykle elegancki. W jasnej koszuli w kratkę, w spodniach w kancik, w idealnie wypolerowanych okularach, z wypielęgnowaną skórzaną torbą przerzuconą przez ramię. Snuła się wokół niego mgiełka nienachalnej serdeczności i zaraźliwego spokoju. Wystarczyło stanąć obok, żeby nim przesiąknąć. Jak zapachem. Ale zapachu Andrieja nie pamiętam. Wydaje mi się jednak, że pachniał mydłem. Takim zwykłym, szarym. Każdego ranka krótkim, grubym pędzlem nakładał mydlaną piankę okrężnymi ruchami na twarz, żeby zmiękczyć zarost. Potem zmieniał żyletkę w ciężkawej srebrnej maszynce do golenia i uważnie przesuwał nią po policzkach, brodzie, szyi. Na koniec chlustał w dłonie wodą kolońską ze szklanej odkręcanej butelki i wklepywał ją w podrażnioną ostrzem twarz. Na pewno szczypało. Tak, Andriej musiał pachnieć szarym mydłem i wodą kolońską. Tak pachniał mój dziadzio. Tak pachniał mój tata. Tak pachniała dobroć. 
(Cały tekst pod linkiem w bio)
-----------------------------
As promised, he came on Monday morning. He arrived elegant as usual. In a light checkered shirt, in crease trousers, in perfectly polished glasses, with a well-groomed leather bag slung over his shoulder. There was a mist of unobtrusive cordiality and contagious calmness around him. All you had to do was stand next to him to be soaked in it, like in the fragrance. But I don't remember Andrei's scent. I think he smelled like soap, though. Just plain grey soap. Every morning, he used a short, thick brush to apply soapy foam in circular motions to his face to soften the stubble. Then he changed the razor blade in the heavy silver shaver and carefully ran it over his cheeks, chin, and neck. Finally, he splashed cologne from a glass screw-top bottle into his hands and patted it on his face, irritated by the blade. It definitely stung. Yes, Andrei must have smelled of grey soap and cologne. This is what my grandfather smelled like. This is what my dad smelled like. This was the smell of kindness.
(The whole txt under the link in bio)
[English below] Wołgograd nijak ma się do Moskwy [English below]
Wołgograd nijak ma się do Moskwy, ale ma swój przydział potężnych rzeźb. Smutne to rzeźby. Pełne cierpienia, rozpaczy. Rzeźby żołnierzy dźwigających rannych kolegów. Rzeźby twarzy wykrzywionych męką, mięśni rwanych wiecznym bólem zakrzepłym w kamieniu. Ten umęczony szpaler prowadzi do stóp Matki Ojczyzny. Matka jest potężna – ma osiemdziesiąt pięć metrów wzrostu, krótkie rozwiane włosy i powłóczystą szatę. W prawej uniesionej ręce ściska nagi miecz i nim wzywa. Do czego? 
(Cały tekst pod linkiem w bio)
---
Volgograd is nothing like Moscow but has its share of massive sculptures. Here, sculptures are sad. Full of suffering and despair. These are sculptures of soldiers carrying wounded colleagues. Sculptures of faces twisted with torment, muscles torn by eternal pain congealed in stone. This tormented row leads to the feet of Mother Motherland. The Mother is huge - eighty-five meters tall, with short wind-blown hair and a flowing robe. She holds a naked sword and calls with it in her raised right hand. Calls to what? 
(The full story under the link in bio)
Instagram post 18199135858260048 Instagram post 18199135858260048
Szpakowaty ojciec z kilkuletnim synem podchodzą z Szpakowaty ojciec z kilkuletnim synem podchodzą zaraz po meczu. W stroboskopowych światłach imprezy na strefie kibica błyskają malutkie rosyjskie flagi wymalowane na ich twarzach. Podchodzą nieśmiali.
- Bardzo przepraszam, ale mówiłem synowi, że wy z Polszy i mamy do was taką prośbę – stara się wykrzyczeć w nasze uszy szpakowaty ojciec.
- Bo on by chciał, żebyście sobie obok waszych polskich, rosyjskie flagi namalowali. O tak, jak my – szpakowaty pan pokazuje przedramię swoje i syna, gdzie widać małe znaczki flag obu krajów.
Chłopczyk odziany od stóp do głów w barwy narodowe Rosji patrzy na nas okrągłymi oczami. Przestępuje z nogi na nogę. Ściska ojca za rękę. I już nie wiadomo, który z nich się bardziej denerwuje – ojciec czy syn.
A Szpakowaty pan mówi dalej. Mówi, że on synowi o Polsce od zawsze opowiada. Żeby wiedział, że przecież nas więcej łączy, niż dzieli. Że między nami bardzo silna więź, bo w naszych żyłach płynie ta sama krew. Słowiańska. Że jesteśmy bracia Słowianie. Bracia krwi. Szpakowaty pan opowiada. Opowiada i ma łzy w oczach.
--------
A grizzled father with a few-year-old son approaches right after the match. In the strobe lights of the party in the fan zone, flash tiny Russian flags painted on their faces. The two of them approach shyly.
“I am very sorry, but I told my son that you are from Poland, and we wanted to ask something of you", the grey-haired father tries to shout into our ears.
“He would like you to paint Russian flags next to your Polish ones. Here, just like we did," the grey-haired gentleman shows his and his son's forearms, where we can see small stamps of the flags of both countries.
A boy dressed from head to toe in the national colours of Russia looks at us with round eyes. He shifts from foot to foot and squeezes his father's hand. We no longer know which of them is more nervous – the father or the son.
The grey-haired man continues. He says that he has always been telling his son about Poland. To let him know that there is more that unites us than divides us. That there is a very strong bond between us because the same blood flows in our veins. That we are blood brothers. He explains and has tears in his eyes.
[English below] Dopiero kilkadziesiąt kilometrów [English below]
Dopiero kilkadziesiąt kilometrów dalej pozwalamy sobie wierzyć, że to nie jest żaden podstęp. Że naprawdę nas wpuściła. Że już nic „nas ne dogonyat”.

Dopiero kilkadziesiąt kilometrów później zauważamy jaka Rosja jest piękna. Przynajmniej jej początek.

Jedziemy pod łukiem powitalnym z szerokiej tęczy, co łączy, przecięte gładziutką szosą pola soczyście żółtego rzepaku. Nad rzepakiem – bezkresne błękitne niebo.

W 2018 Rosja wita nas kolorami Ukrainy.
(Cały tekst pod linkiem w bio)
----------
Only a few dozen kilometres further, we allow ourselves to believe that this is not a trick. That she really let us in. That they really ‘nas ne dogonyat’.

Only a few dozen kilometres later, we notice how beautiful Russia is. 

We ride under the welcome arch made of a broad rainbow, connecting the juicy yellow rapeseed fields cut by a smooth road. Over the rapeseed stretches an endless blue sky.

In 2018, Russia welcomes us with the colours of Ukraine.
(the whole text under the link in bio)
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INSTAGRAM

[English below] Trzydniowa Japonia w pigułce rozn [English below]
Trzydniowa Japonia w pigułce rozniosła nam głowy. Kilka lat później przeprowadziliśmy się do niej na sześć miesięcy. Kraj przez pół roku konsekwentnie i nieodwracalnie przepalał nam styki. Dlatego nie zdziwiliśmy się wcale, kiedy kilka lat później w Wołgogradzie po meczu Polska-Japonia kibice naszych rywali zabrali się za porządkowanie stadionowych trybun. Co kiedyś mogłoby wywołać uśmiech politowania i wymowny gest posuwisto-zwrotny palcem wskazującym w stronę czoła, dziś było tak oczywiste, że aż trzeba się było dołączyć. Wcale nas nie zdziwiło, że przed stadionem rzesze japońskich fanów gratulowało Polakom tak żarliwie, jakbyśmy wcale nie grali o pietruszkę. Przy tym wszyscy byli tak urzekająco szczęśliwi naszym… hmm… szczęściem, jakby sami właśnie wygrali puchar. Wymianom szalików, koszulek nie było końca. Andrzej wrócił chyba z trzema. W tym jedną vintage z rozgrywek w latach dziewięćdziesiątych ubiegłego wieku. Co prawda juniorska, ale przynajmniej na jedno z nas pasuje.
-----
Three-day Japan, in a nutshell, blew our minds. A few years later, we moved in there for six months. The country has been consistently and irreversibly frying our brains for half a year. That's why we weren't at all surprised when, a few years later, in Volgograd, after the Poland-Japan match, our rivals' fans started cleaning up the stadium stands. What once might have caused a smile of pity and a back-and-forth gesture with the index finger towards the forehead was now so obvious that we had to join in. We were not at all surprised that in front of the stadium, crowds of Japanese fans congratulated the Poles as passionately as if we were not playing for honour at all. And everyone was so charmingly happy with our… hmm… victory as if they had just won the cup themselves. There was no end to the exchange of scarves and T-shirts. Andrzej came back with at least three, including one vintage from the 1990s. It's a junior size, but it fits at least one of us.
[English below] Tak, jak obiecał, przyszedł w po [English below]
Tak, jak obiecał, przyszedł w poniedziałek z samego rana. Przyszedł jak zwykle elegancki. W jasnej koszuli w kratkę, w spodniach w kancik, w idealnie wypolerowanych okularach, z wypielęgnowaną skórzaną torbą przerzuconą przez ramię. Snuła się wokół niego mgiełka nienachalnej serdeczności i zaraźliwego spokoju. Wystarczyło stanąć obok, żeby nim przesiąknąć. Jak zapachem. Ale zapachu Andrieja nie pamiętam. Wydaje mi się jednak, że pachniał mydłem. Takim zwykłym, szarym. Każdego ranka krótkim, grubym pędzlem nakładał mydlaną piankę okrężnymi ruchami na twarz, żeby zmiękczyć zarost. Potem zmieniał żyletkę w ciężkawej srebrnej maszynce do golenia i uważnie przesuwał nią po policzkach, brodzie, szyi. Na koniec chlustał w dłonie wodą kolońską ze szklanej odkręcanej butelki i wklepywał ją w podrażnioną ostrzem twarz. Na pewno szczypało. Tak, Andriej musiał pachnieć szarym mydłem i wodą kolońską. Tak pachniał mój dziadzio. Tak pachniał mój tata. Tak pachniała dobroć. 
(Cały tekst pod linkiem w bio)
-----------------------------
As promised, he came on Monday morning. He arrived elegant as usual. In a light checkered shirt, in crease trousers, in perfectly polished glasses, with a well-groomed leather bag slung over his shoulder. There was a mist of unobtrusive cordiality and contagious calmness around him. All you had to do was stand next to him to be soaked in it, like in the fragrance. But I don't remember Andrei's scent. I think he smelled like soap, though. Just plain grey soap. Every morning, he used a short, thick brush to apply soapy foam in circular motions to his face to soften the stubble. Then he changed the razor blade in the heavy silver shaver and carefully ran it over his cheeks, chin, and neck. Finally, he splashed cologne from a glass screw-top bottle into his hands and patted it on his face, irritated by the blade. It definitely stung. Yes, Andrei must have smelled of grey soap and cologne. This is what my grandfather smelled like. This is what my dad smelled like. This was the smell of kindness.
(The whole txt under the link in bio)
[English below] Wołgograd nijak ma się do Moskwy [English below]
Wołgograd nijak ma się do Moskwy, ale ma swój przydział potężnych rzeźb. Smutne to rzeźby. Pełne cierpienia, rozpaczy. Rzeźby żołnierzy dźwigających rannych kolegów. Rzeźby twarzy wykrzywionych męką, mięśni rwanych wiecznym bólem zakrzepłym w kamieniu. Ten umęczony szpaler prowadzi do stóp Matki Ojczyzny. Matka jest potężna – ma osiemdziesiąt pięć metrów wzrostu, krótkie rozwiane włosy i powłóczystą szatę. W prawej uniesionej ręce ściska nagi miecz i nim wzywa. Do czego? 
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Volgograd is nothing like Moscow but has its share of massive sculptures. Here, sculptures are sad. Full of suffering and despair. These are sculptures of soldiers carrying wounded colleagues. Sculptures of faces twisted with torment, muscles torn by eternal pain congealed in stone. This tormented row leads to the feet of Mother Motherland. The Mother is huge - eighty-five meters tall, with short wind-blown hair and a flowing robe. She holds a naked sword and calls with it in her raised right hand. Calls to what? 
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Instagram post 18199135858260048 Instagram post 18199135858260048
Szpakowaty ojciec z kilkuletnim synem podchodzą z Szpakowaty ojciec z kilkuletnim synem podchodzą zaraz po meczu. W stroboskopowych światłach imprezy na strefie kibica błyskają malutkie rosyjskie flagi wymalowane na ich twarzach. Podchodzą nieśmiali.
- Bardzo przepraszam, ale mówiłem synowi, że wy z Polszy i mamy do was taką prośbę – stara się wykrzyczeć w nasze uszy szpakowaty ojciec.
- Bo on by chciał, żebyście sobie obok waszych polskich, rosyjskie flagi namalowali. O tak, jak my – szpakowaty pan pokazuje przedramię swoje i syna, gdzie widać małe znaczki flag obu krajów.
Chłopczyk odziany od stóp do głów w barwy narodowe Rosji patrzy na nas okrągłymi oczami. Przestępuje z nogi na nogę. Ściska ojca za rękę. I już nie wiadomo, który z nich się bardziej denerwuje – ojciec czy syn.
A Szpakowaty pan mówi dalej. Mówi, że on synowi o Polsce od zawsze opowiada. Żeby wiedział, że przecież nas więcej łączy, niż dzieli. Że między nami bardzo silna więź, bo w naszych żyłach płynie ta sama krew. Słowiańska. Że jesteśmy bracia Słowianie. Bracia krwi. Szpakowaty pan opowiada. Opowiada i ma łzy w oczach.
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A grizzled father with a few-year-old son approaches right after the match. In the strobe lights of the party in the fan zone, flash tiny Russian flags painted on their faces. The two of them approach shyly.
“I am very sorry, but I told my son that you are from Poland, and we wanted to ask something of you", the grey-haired father tries to shout into our ears.
“He would like you to paint Russian flags next to your Polish ones. Here, just like we did," the grey-haired gentleman shows his and his son's forearms, where we can see small stamps of the flags of both countries.
A boy dressed from head to toe in the national colours of Russia looks at us with round eyes. He shifts from foot to foot and squeezes his father's hand. We no longer know which of them is more nervous – the father or the son.
The grey-haired man continues. He says that he has always been telling his son about Poland. To let him know that there is more that unites us than divides us. That there is a very strong bond between us because the same blood flows in our veins. That we are blood brothers. He explains and has tears in his eyes.
[English below] Dopiero kilkadziesiąt kilometrów [English below]
Dopiero kilkadziesiąt kilometrów dalej pozwalamy sobie wierzyć, że to nie jest żaden podstęp. Że naprawdę nas wpuściła. Że już nic „nas ne dogonyat”.

Dopiero kilkadziesiąt kilometrów później zauważamy jaka Rosja jest piękna. Przynajmniej jej początek.

Jedziemy pod łukiem powitalnym z szerokiej tęczy, co łączy, przecięte gładziutką szosą pola soczyście żółtego rzepaku. Nad rzepakiem – bezkresne błękitne niebo.

W 2018 Rosja wita nas kolorami Ukrainy.
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Only a few dozen kilometres further, we allow ourselves to believe that this is not a trick. That she really let us in. That they really ‘nas ne dogonyat’.

Only a few dozen kilometres later, we notice how beautiful Russia is. 

We ride under the welcome arch made of a broad rainbow, connecting the juicy yellow rapeseed fields cut by a smooth road. Over the rapeseed stretches an endless blue sky.

In 2018, Russia welcomes us with the colours of Ukraine.
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