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 a VERY relaxed D by richiecdiscLeave a Comment
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 My new friends !!! by skydivefred
Then they asked me to go back to where I came from and without taking photos. Which I did!!!
Here are a couple of advice:
1/ If you know a bit of Vietnamese, forget it all, if you have a language book, don't show it !!!! They tend to assume that if you speak a bit, you are fluent and they suspect you even more if you say you can't speak !!!
2/ Always have some cigarettes with you to offer to relax the atmosphere... It works !!
3/ SMILE, PLEASE SMILE even if you are so frightened!!!
Why did I get arrested?
Although my friends worked in the field in that area, they didn't think It'd be a problem to travel around. They explained to me that something very bad must have happened whilst I was there (some repression of ethnic minorities which still pay the price of having been on the US's side, or something like that).
Also, I was there in August, a period which is known, in the area, for being a time of hunger..... Leave a Comment
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 Her husband was a police
so it was OK to stay!!!! by skydivefred
NOW, if you stay with expats, make sure that they reported you to the owner of the house they rent. The owner has to report you to the police then. (In big cities, this does not seem to be so much of a rule, but in small provincial cities, do it or your friends may be in trouble Leave a Comment
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 by we2364Leave a Comment
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Myself and a friend decided to take a motorbike taxi each from the Pham Ngu Lao area in Saigon, to the 'Apocalypse Now' bar. Our drivers took us straight there, only then to inform us that the bar was closed. Then rather than take us back as requested, the drivers rode around for a while until they arrived at a brothel. We realised the drivers had known the bar would be closed when they picked us up, but they hoped to get a 'cut' if we went into their (brother/cousin/uncle's etc) brothel.
Needless to say, we didn't want to go to a brothel, but then they were trying to charge us extra for riding around to find their brothel! It was only after much heated arguing that we got them to return us home for the agreed price.
I think perhaps late at night it is better to catch a metered taxi, and be very clear on your destination.
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 Mekong Delta by tampa_shawn
For the average traveler to Vietnam the current recommendations by the CDC are immunizations for Hepatitis A and B, Typhoid and Tetanus. If your traveling for over a month or working with animals or small children there are additional recommendations. The CDC link for SE Asia is http://www.cdc.gov/travel/seasia.htm
The Malaria medication they are currently recommending for SE Asia is Mefloquine (brand name: Lariam). I have taken Lariam numerous times and have never had a problem but it does have some potential psychotic side effects so you may want to read….
http://www.cdc.gov/travel/malariadrugs.htm
Although Vietnam is very safe it is always a good idea to check the travel warnings
Travel warnings http://travel.state.gov
Make sure you bring any prescription medication you need as well as insect repellent. Leave a Comment
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 by tampa_shawn
The ICE in Vietnam has an especially deadly reputation and having seen the early morning ICE delivery process I now know why…………..
Big blocks of ice loosely wrapped in burlap (delivered by motorbike) are set directly on the sidewalk in front of the business (the same sidewalk that is used as a kitchen, bathroom and motorcycle parking lot during the day). The store owners drag the ice across the sidewalk into the restaurant and uses a large ice pick to break off ice during the day on an as needed basis
PICTURE: See the left hand side of the picture for the stack of ice from the morning delivery...next to the sleeping man...click on the picture to enlarge Leave a Comment
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One of the most familiar sights in Vietnam is a road packed with noisy little motorbikes, often carrying whole families. They seem impervious to danger. Motorbikes, with tiny babies wedged between mother and father, weave between cars and buses and ride head on into traffic on the wrong side of the road.
Be warned, it is quite commonplace for motorbikes to turn into the wrong lane, which if you are attempting to walk across the road at the same time, can really catch you by surprise. I saw several motorbike accidents and I am told that they are the biggest cause of death amongst young people in Vietnam. Leave a Comment
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 by tampa_shawn
On a positive note...I didn't hear of any tourists getting deathly ill while I was in Vietnam (all of us had mild stomach complaints)...
Sanitation in Vietnam (for the tourists...not for the local people) has come a long way from a few years ago...but it is not worth ruining your trip Leave a Comment
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Motorist seldom stop at traffic lights so you need to be preety fearless. Most people in the coutnry ride motorcyles and its become a bit of a problem. In Hanoi alone they average about 20 fatalities from these things a day and ive seen one when i was there. It was not preety .
If you do decide to rent a bike, be carefull Leave a Comment
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