Sorry for being an r-tard

I have a question about the internet in Vietnam. Most of the hotels I have visited seem to route their internet through foreign servers to allow access to blocked websites. However they use US servers and that means I cannot play online poker. Where can I find a local internet connection with 24 hour access? I will probably be in Hanoi or HCMC during TCOOP.

I also am wondering where one can find quality bananas. I have been to Hanoi and the bananas were beyond terrible. I understand I have no posts on here but I can assure you I am VERY legit and I can have many well known posters vouch for me. Just ask and you shall receive.

It also might not be bad to know a few people to go out drinking with but we can save formalities for later. For now just the important stuff poker and bananas.

Did you actually try logging onto a poker site and it told you were logging in from a US IP? I've never heard of any place doing this. There are very few blocked sites at the moment so I can't think of any need for some place to be doing this (when I first arrived, facebook was blocked, but no longer). If you encountered some place that actually did this, it's going to be the exception. Just find another place.

Thank you. Ya the one hotel I was at I could not log on. The stars message popped up saying I was in US. Pretty annoying. Good to know that this is not every hotel. I might not book a hotel or maybe just one night and check the internet first. I'll be freaking out if I have to miss TCOOPs.

Does anyone know how reliable the internet is Hanoi? Can you get a USB dongle for backup internet? How much would that cost and where would I get one?

Thanks

Many questions people are now asking is answered somewhere in this thread. I know it's long, but there is a lot of good advice in here.

Anyway, Internet in Hanoi is about the same as anywhere in Vietnam I suppose. Semi-decent most of the time. It might depend to some degree on the installation plan of where you are staying, the line and router they are using, and the ISP. At times it will be more flaky than others. It's definitely a good idea to get a USB stick to use as a backup (or as your primary) Internet. Even if your primary Internet is good, power outages are not infrequent.

Should cost about $40USD or less. Any phone shop and many computer/electronics shops will have them. Most are locked into a single provider although someone in the thread got one that can work with any sim though (even in other countries) which would be nice if you bouncing around different countries.

Why not use Neteller or other e-wallets instead ? Or you can create another Moneybookers account with the same information but different credit card as some of my friends have done so, it just works fine.

There are many sportsbooks for Vietnamese here in HCMC, but I'm not sure If they are for Americans also. I have to figure it out first if you really want to know.

If you want to transfer the money, you can contact me for more information.

Netteller doesn't accept Americans, but my entropay account was verified today which is good but their fees are high. I will try to change my money bookers account.

I quit poker. Only sports from now on....

Oh so, I'm VNese and I can use any ewallets I like. I'm not interested in sports so I don't know much about it, but I can ask my friends about it for you.

fyi neteller now accepts Americans living in thailand, so i'd send them an email and ask

You can make a deposit to M88.com through any bank in VietNam. If you want more, google search with keyword "ca do truc tuyen" and ask live support of the site.

Thanks man, it's a decent site and looks legit, but I don't like Asian handicapping or split handicapping. Any other englishnstyle sites you know ?

Of course I know because I only place bets on englishstyle sites that come together with my poker accounts, such as: William Hill, Ladbrokes, 888 poker, titan poker, party poker ...
But I have to deposit to such sites from my moneybookers account, since your MB account is locked I think you can ask people around here to transfer money from site to site as the way my friends , who don't know how to use MB account, do.

djle2 Are you still trying to get cash for money on Stars? I am in Saigon and would be interested in getting 500 or 600 on stars. If anybody else would like cash for Stars money let me know I have been trying to get money on for a while and keep running into problems.

Anybody know a good gym in Northeast D1 near the zoo? I've tried google maps but there's got to be another better resource, as I've not found anything. Trying to get back in shape (not round).

The closest one that I know of is the one at the top of Diamond Plaza. IIts expensive at $100 a month but it is prob nice. Theres another off of Cach Mang Thang called Lanh Anh and it has a pool and is cheaper, but not as close. My roommate goes there and we live at Hai Ba Trung and Vo Thi Sau.

You could check hotels close by and see if they have decent gyms and offer memberships. A friend I mine was going to Ramana's gym in D.3 for a while. I think he had to pay 1 mil a month or something like that.

You can try California Wow: http://www.cfyc.com.vn/vn/cali-galle...n-1-queen-ann1
If you know how to make a deal, I think you can get a one year membership for about $ 600 - 700

calli wow went bust in thailand, so be careful in nam too guys.

Thanks gents for the helpful info. I've actually found out I can get a pretty decent deal at the Manor gym, which I've seen and looks like a quality gym (though I've never been in, just checking out the ladies in yoga pants from the pool area). Think I'll probably be pumping iron at the Manor.

http://www.wordhcmc.com/features/item/2309-fitness

any 2+2'ers currently living in HCMC and wanna meet up and show us around a bit?
poker player who has been living in BKK for 6 years now, just on holidays
i'm actually viet kieu , but from a small village in the far south east, and haven't been back for a long time now
flying in 24 jan, leaving 27th with 2 other bkk grinders

PM if you wanna meet and have a drink and talk pokers (= girls )

california is overpriced for what it is and not worth it unless you want to do 15 of the yoga classes a day. for the price you pay for it i would expect more/better free weights (pretty non existant in there), tennis courts, squash courts and a swimming pool but all it has is a ridiculous number of the same cardio machines, 65 different types of yoga class and a free ipad if you have been going there for the 30+ years it takes to accumulate enough points.

if you want to do solely free weights there is a very good back to basics gym just behind pham nhu lao (sp?) in the co bac area. 100k a month or 20k a session.

another good gym is la nangs in d10. its pretty close to d1 and has good facilities and a pool and costs 800k a month. it also has an incredibly hot receptionist which will ensure that you go there every day

Have Bank of America/THB/Pokerstars if anyone has Dong I can trade for in HMC. I get there on the 18th, also is there anywhere that exchanges currency at a low vig?