I'll be there next week on business. Got my travel immunizations done. Getting my light synthetic clothes together. I'm staying in what seems to be a pretty nice hotel.

I'll probably eat a morning meal at the hotel but we were advised to pack lots of cereal bars for the factory as the local cafeteria has questionable food. Will probably eat one evening meal in the evening.

How much cash should I need per week? I don't plan on sight seeing at all.

How's the local crime?

How are the restaurants?

My goal is simply to survive and get back without any lifelong illness.

Thanks,
Tony.

Check with Jane Fonda. I am sure that she can fill you in on where all the "Beautiful" people go. I'm sure she still gets the plush treatment.

Damn, it has been 47 years and that bitch still sticks in my craw.

I know you asked a serious question. I hope you are successful, but I refuse to buy anything manufactured in Nam - just as my Dad refused to buy anything from Japan. I always respected my Dad's lead re Japan, and I hope my sons respect mine re Nam.


.

I was in Saigon and Danang a year ago plus a multitude of smaller venues and I suspect that one thing the cities of Viet Nam have in common is next to no street crime. That's what got reported to me before I left, that was my experience, and that was what the local population told me as well as one of our traveling companions who works in Hanoi and has for a decade or so (on the world SDT initiative).

Also, I am told, there are police everywhere, but only traffic cops are uniformed. The keepers of the peace are pretty invisible. One local told me that if I thought I saw a cop, it was just a 'cowboy' a pretender. You can only spot a cop when he grabs you by the scruff of the neck, was his opinion.
City traffic is a bitch though and is just waiting to kill you. I'm sure there are rules but they aren't obvious to the interested foreign observer.

Like I said though, not Hanoi.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: wishfull thinker,

Last time I was there was 1973. I got to watch the planes with POWs take off for Clark AFB in the Philippines.

I've been to Hanoi a number of times, and the last time I went was about a year and a half ago.

First, I don't think you need to be so apprehensive. Vietnam is a really beautiful place, with friendly people, fantastic food, and generally welcoming of foreigners. The hangups westerners have with Vietnam is similar to the hangups they have with any developing country--seeing really poor people going about their daily lives. You'll be in one of the biggest cities in Vietnam, so you'll see plenty of well-to-do alongside their middle income and low income peers, so you won't be seeing rampant poverty all over the place like out in the sticks...

Local crime is generally very low. Weapons are very hard to come by, gangs and street thugs draw way too much attention from the police, and individual thieves often get their asses kicked by locals when they're caught. As a westerner, you'll probably be at least 50lbs (more likely 100lbs) heavier and likely a foot taller than the bravest local, so you probably won't be confronted by anyone intending to rob you.

Pickpockets, and opportunists, are a threat though. Don't leave your bags unattended and keep your wallet in your front pocket. Maintain personal space in markets and on the streets. Don't offer money to beggars or children. It's okay to completely ignore them and to push through crowds of children if they accost you.

From a safety perspective, traffic will be your biggest concern. Cross streets at a steady pace, yielding only to large trucks. DO NOT TRY TO DODGE INDIVIDUAL MOTORBIKES OR CARS. Drivers there are used to pedestrians crossing the street at a steady pace. If you suddenly change your pace, or take a sudden step back, motorbikes all around you will have to take sudden evasive maneuvers.

Food there is fantastic. Use your hotel for recommendations for local restaurants. Fresh greens accompany nearly every dish in Vietnam, but you should avoid eating the greens unless there is hot soup for you to dip/cook the greens in. The tap water in Vietnam is not potable, so you have to assume that the greens were washed in tap water. Similarly, avoid drinks served with ice. Nearly all restaurants will serve bottled water by request. Tea is safe to drink and is served with nearly all meals the same way water is served here at the table. Hand towels or cool towelette packets are often placed at your table when you are seated. These are not free. Use them if you wish, but just leave them there if you wish not to be charged for it.

If you are sensitive to MSG or sodium, then I recommend that you taste some, but do not drink all of the soup broth that comes with any of the soup/noodle dishes. Many westerners take one sip of the soup broth, are amazed at how delicious it is, and then finish the bowl to the bottom. This is not advised. Order two bowls if you want more food, but drinking all of the soup will leave you thirsty and tired all day. That aside, if you are a sensitive eater, then I normally recommend the noodle soup dishes as they will be thoroughly cooked and are most likely to be kept at safe food handling temperatures throughout the day.

Food is cheap by western standards. Hotels will give you decent exchange rates as ATMs are hard to find. Only nicer restaurants and stores take credit card--the economy still runs mostly on cash. You could get by on $20-30 a day if you had to, $50 would probably more comfortable.

For what it's worth, I've never bothered with getting travel immunizations done. Malaria risk is low, no yellow fever. Your biggest risk is getting a food born illness from the non-potable water--people there have generally good hygiene so Hep A and Typhoid isn't super scary.

Thanks! I've contacted my church out there and they are ready to receive me when I'm there so I should have some good fellowship when I get there.

It's nice to have some perspective so I can perhaps lower my guard while I'm there.

I've always carried my wallet in my front pockets. I've done that since I went on deployments with the Marines in the 90's. One of our co-workers had their credit card hacked while they were there so I'm only going to use cash or my company credit card.

The SigForum brain trust is truly amazing!

Tony.