Today started bright and early as we headed out to Cat Lai Terminal, a port here in Ho Chi Minh City. This was more interesting for me than expected; the boats being loaded and unloaded were huge. Throughout the port, there was very much so a sense of organized chaos. We got to watch rice from the Mekong Delta be loaded into containers, and we also got to see customs and a warehouse as well. Although ports and supply chain logistics are not something I am terribly interested in personally, it was still fascinating to see just how much was being moved through so quickly. Of course, I knew that the economy of Vietnam is very centered around trade, which obviously necessitates significant infrastructure for imports and exports, but I was still surprised by the amount and things coming in and out of just one port.

We also got to visit he US Consulate in Ho Chi Minh City today. It was interesting to be in a space run by the US government on the other side of the world. We got to hear more about the Vietnamese economy and how US policy aims to work with their export economy. We talked about how much the US imports from Vietnam, and how much Vietnam relies on the US as a stable market for its high number of exports. Of course, we touched on the tariff situation during this section. I was interested to hear about how the tariffs will affect Vietnam’s ability to continue to develop, and how it might drive manufacturing out of the country.

To finish out the day, we stopped at the Banh Thanh Market. This was really different from shopping in the US because everyone is bargaining for a better price. Many people haggled their way down to around half of the initial price given by the seller. Even though I was told that this was how it worked, I still found it surprising to see in action. I was also surprised at how much the sellers talked to everyone. Almost every seller I passed by asked me if I wanted to buy anything while showing me whichever of their wares seemed most likely to entice me. Between this and the crowd of (mostly foreign tourist) shoppers at the market, I found the experience to be a little overwhelming.

Overall, it was a very informative day. I can’t believe that we only have one more day here in Vietnam. I have had such an amazing time here, and it feels almost like no time has passed at all.