Vietnam!

I showed my passport twice and then went to another desk to get my entry stamp. I already had my visa and expected no problems. The guy at the desk with the temperature reading computer picked up some money as I walked by. He waved it around at me. I assume he wanted some money, I couldn't think of what for, so I said' What for?' He didn't like this and annoyingly brushed me off. I wasn't going to pay some bogus entry fee. No reciept, no pay! I had to show my passport one last time and we were finally on the road.
The road was sealed but very, very bumpy. The driver continued to speed and we were bounced out of our seats regularly. After two and a half hours we arrived in Pleiku, my first stop. It was only a stopover for the night for me. I took a motobike taxi to my hotel, which had changed it's name, this caused some confusion when I got dropped off but I took my bearings and I was in the right place. I got a decent room with satellite TV for $7. Good value for the room.
I showered and washed the clothes I was wearing and was ready to go out to eat. As I walked by the lobby, the young hotel employees were eating dinner. The guy offered me his whole sandwich. I didn't want to be rude, so I sat down and ate and drank tea with them. This was really nice of them. I was still very hungry though and had to go out to eat more. I ended up at a restaurant that did mainly one meal. I just sat down and waited for whatever. I got a big bowl of soup with chicken and a side dish of sprouts. It was all good. This and a beer was super cheap. Pleiku is a big city, almost bigger than any city in Laos. It is very bustling with motorbikes and shops. After being in 2 countries were there wasn't much available in most cities, this was like being back home again with everything I could want. First off I wanted some quality chocolate. They had this and it was cheap! Next I needed a bit of internet. I asked in a cell phone shop if they knew were a cafe was. They told me I could use their only computer for free! A lot of people said 'Hello' to me, kids, teenagers and older women. Maybe it's because Pleiku isn't a tourist town but I wasn't experiencing any of the hassle I had heard about from other travellers. I thought the people were great and really friendly. They might have even been more surprised at my huge chops. I was sporting some massive porkchops, freshly shaved in. This year is a special year in that I'm not growing my normally huge beard. I decided to mix it up a little. I brought with me a trimmer/razor and have been changing facial hair when I feel like it. These porkchops mark the seventh style I've sported so far. I dont' think they see too many people with chops like mine! Maybe for good reason too but I didn't care. I like them and have no one to impress.
My room was even kind of quiet from street noise. My first impressions of Vietnam were very good, not really what I was expecting. It was probably my best first day in any country.