Independence Day in Americatown

To celebrate 4th of July we took a bus to Mangrove National Park and then dined in Americatown. We first stopped at a town where we had lunch at a Muslim restaurant. For about $1.50 I got a huge plate of hand tossed noodles. Mike went for a haircut which included a scalp massage and two different shampooings.  All the hairstylists were sharply dressed and stylish men. The way they cut hair is very meticulous and flashy. Not surprising for a people that conduct lawn maintenance with scissors. We also walked around the town square which contained a bunch of buddhist and military statues. Then we continued onto the park. We walked around the shore forests as swallows dipped and dived around us. We followed the boardwalk for a few miles and finally found the subway. Our next stop Showco aka Americatown. The Showco neighborhood contains a facade like backdrop that reminds me of Winter Park Orlando. Really. This is the best description I can possibly give you, the stores amongst the fake buildings looked like Winter Park. Maybe this was intentional, China recently replicated a town in Austria down to the very last building. What is real are the McDonald's, KFC's, Mexican restaurants, dunkin donuts, several Starbucks and the many illegitimate massage parlors and singles bars. I also learned if you want western fare you pay western prices. My margarita at the Mexican restaurant cost the same as 5 dish meal we ate at the Muslim restaurant earlier in the day. My Budweiser from the corner store also cost about $1.50 instead of 40 cents.