It is raining as we travel through the last part of this trip around the province of Dak Lak. I decided to return a day early to the capital Buon Ma Thuot to get a medical consultation to make sure my chest congestion is not an issue for flying tomorrow to Con Dao. The world is uneasy about AI but with all the information accessible on the internet by the bots, it is now so seamless to pull up recommendations for how to find medical care anywhere in the world. I am going to the place Chat suggested.
It is hard to describe the outskirts of this city which is similar to all the smaller towns we have passed through. A combination of old and new. Old concrete house in states of disrepair and beautiful 2-3 story places currently under construction. . New homes with brick and marble facades and balconies next to small shops one-level shops with padlocked metal grates in front (it is Saturday here), gas stations, wooden shacks, a fancy glass fronted store selling bridal gowns. It is the complete spectrum of possibilities in a hot humid climate, including effusive green bowers of flowers planted for personal pleasure. Maybe because it is Saturday we are passing by quite a few big weddings in progress, large canopied spaces, reminiscent of India. Because the single most valuable asset here is land, the pieces of property sold by the original property owners are expensive, thus leading to very narrow lots and very tall thin buildings and shops. There is a beautiful planted median strip on this well paved road which is part of the Ho Chi Minh road system, from North to South, maintained by the government. .
Vu and I were talking about the ownership issues here. I noticed many big banks, and Vu said the four largest are all owned by the government. I asked, why does the government own so many different Banks — which question is related as well as to why the government owns the 3 most widely used telecommunication systems, Viettel, MobiFone and VinaPhone. Vu talked about the value of joint investment with private companies but asking Chat I got a much more complicated reply about allowing market competition while retaining government ownership of competitors. Very different from the Chinese model — and I wonder what Uncle Ho would think about today’s economic structure.
When we get back into town, I request lunch at the first place we had gone — the only fully vegetarian places I have seen — with a great variety of forms of tofu disguised to look and taste like meat. But Vu and Ho leave for a few minutes and return with meat dish from another restaurant which they bring in and eat. That is obviously acceptable here.
As mentioned above Chat gave me several options for a medical consultation, including the University Hospital, a private hospital, and a specialty pulmonary clinic which is the one that was specifically recommended for me. This was an experience. A small store front at which a young woman, said to be the doctor, met me and Vu as my translator. I was taken into the small back room where there was a cot, a small desk, and a lot of random boxes. It looked somewhat clean although I saw the window shelf had a lot of dust on it. The doctor listened to my chest and took my blood pressure while I was lying down on the cot. I said to her that at home the doctor always has us sit up and listens to both the front and back of the chest. So she did that. She then called another doctor to come over to take my blood. About 15 minutes later a traveling phlebotomist arrived and painfully drew my blood ( still have significant black and blue 7 days later). That was it. My chest is not congested and I received abaout 4 hours later through Mr. Vu the verbal results that my blood looked fine.
Since he was in the doctors office with me, Mr. Vu decided to get checked out as it seems he had not been to a doctor in 6 years. His results were not good so I am glad I went as it may help Mr. Vu live longer. My charge was equal to $12 and Mr. Vu, because he had more blood work done, paid $17.
Tomorrow morning I flew to the island of Con Dau for some rest and, I am told, beautiful scenery.