Today is day 8 in Vietnam.

Visiting Cat Lai Terminal forces you to confront the scale of global trade. The metrics are highly specific: processing a container ship takes 12 to 18 hours, and the port handles 81 containers every hour. Watching the massive cranes transfer containers between land and boat gives a clear sense of how big this equipment actually is.

Looking past the heavy machinery reveals an interesting human element in the logistics. While watching a rice-loading operation, I thought that the division of labor was odd. About twenty people were standing around while only two or three workers actually organized the rice. One guy had the job of flipping the rice bags to face the correct way, but that effort was immediately undone when the next worker picked up the bag to throw it into the container. It showed a unique contrast between massive technological scale and manual workflows.

Regarding sustainability, the port is not green enough. The site visit guide mentioned that they are green, but they had no real answer when asked about specific sustainable practices. Because they could not point out any concrete examples beyond doing all paperwork online, it seems like greenwashing, and environmental concerns appear to take a backseat to volume and speed.

The visit to Dan On Foods offered a look at a highly organized operation. The entire facility is clean and structured, with each part of the production process placed in its own walled-off section. The workflow is obvious and controlled. For example, to prevent outside dirt from entering the facility, all employees and visitors are required to wear Crocs. Aside from the golf carts, which our driver was struggling to drive, the building itself features a nice, organic-modern design and good air conditioning. The company handles employee amenities well, providing a pool table, a swimming pool, and pretty spacious office desks. It looks like an excellent place to work.

I think Vietnam is on an upward trajectory and easily has the potential to become a serious global player in 30 years. I think once they move past efficient hiccups, they will boom as a nation.