HH, palm trees and bananas. And you're right, the redevelopment seems to have been very well planned, although I'm not sure whether it happened under one of the periods when a strict regime was in charge.
And no, neither Middle East nor China. Nor Philippines. So yes, South America does ring the right bells but neither Rio nor Sao Paulo.
Edit: I lived there as a child and a schoolmate's dad would take me up in a Stearman every once in a while. Once we flew the length of the new airport runway, then under construction, and it seemed to take twenty minutes!