Touring Hanoi

Confucian Temple

   Buffet breakfast at the hotel:  Chinese dim sum, Japanese sushi, Korean bi bim bap , Vietnamese pho and bahn mi, congee, French pastry, all kinds of tropical fruits and juices, western style omelette bar, pancakes and waffles, European style meats and cheeses, head is spinning,  I could just stay at the hotel and eat all day, but......
   We met with our tour group at 0800.  Our guide Tri lives in Hanoi and is very funny and knowledgeable.  We got on a bus which took us to several electric carts for a tour of the Old Quarter.  Sadly, the audio narrative was nearly unintelligible, so we didn’t hear it over the noise of the motor bikes and car horns.  Apparently there are different streets for the different stores:  food, clothing, paper, shoes, etc.  Very colorful and exciting.  I only wish we had done it on foot.
   Then it was off to Maison Centrale, the old colonial prison which became the infamous Hanoi Hilton.  It was a very sobering experience.  The French treated the Vietnamese horribly.  Very reminiscent of how the Spanish treated the indigenous people of South America.  The years when it housed American POWs were glossed over as a time for them to rest and contemplate life.  What surprised me the most was how many of those men came back to visit Hanoi after the war.  Can’t think of it without tearing up.
    Next stop was Ho Chi Minh’s mausoleum.  Found the most boring job in the world would be to be a military guard there. No talking, no smiling, just standing at attention.  You are not allowed to take photos inside, but I can tell you “Uncle Ho” looks pretty good for having been dead 50 years! The grounds are beautiful and we learned a lot about his life.

Confucian temple

This is supposed to represent snow

Street in the Old quarter

FruitVendor Old Quarter

Entrance to the Hanoi Hilton

Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum 

     Next was the oldest Confucian temple in Hanoi, called the temple of literature.
   Then lunch at KOTO where they teach street kids how to prepare and serve food.  You would think after that breakfast, I wouldn’t eat for days, but loved the different spring rolls, chicken salad, fish in banana leaves and chicken with mushrooms.  Wonder what’s for dinner?