My guide and I recently had a good conversation with regards to many subjects. Here is a random outline of what we talked about.
In Vietnam you can purchase health insurance for around $70.00 per month. If you don’t miss a payment along the way in 20 years you get all the money back. If you are in need of a life threatening surgery and you have no insuarnce or money – you just die.
The Vietnamese have no hard feelings over the US war and welcome US tourist. I think it is cool how an American adventurer and a Vietnam guide can share a hotel room and learn from each other.
There are differences between the people of Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. The people in Hanoi save their money and in Ho Chi Minh City they spend it.
In 1945 after the French war, it has been said that Vietnam lost around one million soldiers and civilians.
My guide had a friend that went to prison and this is what his friend shared with him. If you get caught with 500 grams of herion in Vietnam the government will kill you. This may come after a two year prison stay and after a short court hearing. If you get killed before the two year prison term ends you are lucky. In prison you have a chain shackle put around your ankle which allows you to get to your bathroom (which is a hole in the concrete floor). The cells are 7 x 7 square meters in size and are ugly. If you steal a motorbike or money ( depending on your criminal record) death may be your sentence. If you are found gillty of killing someone then you are killed. If you get caught with a gun you go go prison for a least 2 years but may get out early with good behavior.
Upon entering a prison you are greeted by other inmates who beat you as your welcome. If your family brings you food it must be shared with other inmates or you get a beating. The inmates play wierd games. They draw a cirlce in the dust on the floor where there is an ant crawling around. If the ant goes out of he circle you may get a beating.
With all this said, there are still lots of drugs and criminals in Vietnam.
We went up to the Skylight and had drinks. Then out to dinner and called it a night.
Doug's Travels 