Bush crosses time zones, eats many meals

BOGOR, Indonesia --Who eats two dinners in a day? President Bush for one, especially when he's crossing time zones.

Bush started Monday in Ho Chi Minh City, formerly known as Saigon, in southern Vietnam, then hopped over to Indonesia for talks with President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, an ally in the war on terror. The roughly six-hour visit ended with a state dinner in Bush's honor at Bogor Palace, the presidential mansion just south of the capital of Jakarta.

The media were not allowed in.

Immediately afterward, Bush and his wife, Laura, boarded Air Force One for the 12-hour flight to Hawaii, their next stop, during which they will lose half a day.

So what's on the agenda for the Bushes after they land Monday night at Hickam Air Force Base in Honolulu? Dinner with Adm. William J. Fallon, commander of U.S. Pacific Command, and his wife.

Fallon oversees American military operations in a region that ranges from the west coast of the United States to the east coast of Africa, and from the Arctic to Antarctic, including Hawaii and Alaska.

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If he were a young businessman seeking fortune, Bush says he would seek it in Vietnam.

After banging a gong three times to open trading at Vietnam's stock exchange Monday, Bush told business executives he was impressed with the communist country's emerging private sector.

"He told us that if he was young and he wanted to make money, this is where he would come," said Sesto Vecchi, an American attorney whose Ho Chi Minh City firm, Russin and Vecchi, represents some U.S. companies.

According to Vecchi, Bush asked them, "Are you making money?"

Their answer: Yes.

Bush came to Vietnam's commercial center after attending the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Hanoi. He got a warm welcome of cheers from about 100 Vietnamese gathered outside the stock exchange. He smiled and waved back.

"I read about the recent economic history of Vietnam, I am amazed at the size of the growth and the fact that ... people are beginning to realize dreams," Bush said.

Vietnam's economy grew 8.4 percent last year, one of the fastest rates in the world. The country's stock market has 53 listed companies and has seen its capitalization increase tenfold in less than a year.

Participants told Bush that Vietnam has a vibrant economy with great investment potential -- but that the country still needs to improve its legal system and protect intellectual property rights.

"He hoped his visit to the stock market would stir up more American interest in Vietnam's financial sector," said Dang Thanh Tam, chairman of Saigon Invest Group, Vietnam's largest developer of industrial parks. The company just listed on the exchange last week.

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It was a rather out-and-about day for Bush in Ho Chi Minh City.

After wielding a red-handled mallet at the stock exchange, the Bushes visited the Pasteur Institute, which conducts research in preventive medicine and tries to control the spread of infectious diseases.

They toured several gleaming, white-walled laboratories and received a briefing on the institute's research into HIV/AIDS.

Bush said doctors had explained their strategy for detecting HIV, not only in the cities, but in outlying provinces, as well. In turn, he said the United States has a strong program to help keep infected pregnant women from transmitting the virus to their babies.

"Laura and I have come by to thank the doctor and her staff for their compassionate work, and to assure the Vietnamese people that we will still help them fight HIV/AIDS," Bush said.

Then they were off to the city's history museum and a drum and dance performance.

Dressed in bright red-and-gold costumes, young performers pounded red kettle drums and waved flags as they stepped, turned and ran about a stage outside the building. Four sequined and brightly colored dragons snaked through the flag wavers.

Bush nodded his head and tapped his foot in time with the music.

For several days in Hanoi, Bush had virtually no public appearances or contact with locals, aside from attending a church service on Sunday.

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Associated Press writer Ben Stocking in Hanoi contributed to this report.