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Published: February 14th 2011
Hanoi is in Northern Vietnam so the weather was somewhat cooler that the rest of our trip. Not cold by any means but more comfortable. We started our day at the Ho Chi Minh mausoleum. It is located in the center of Ba Ðình Square, which is the place where Ho Chi Minh read the Declaration of Independence on September 2, 1945, establishing the Democratic Republic of Vietnam. Ho Chi Minh wanted to be cremated but against his wishes his body is preserved in the cooled central hall of the mausoleum. We took a walk through to see him. He died in 1969 but his body had been preserved until the end of the war and the mausoleum was constructed.
Our next stop was the Presidential Palace. Ho Chi Minh spent 15 years living and working in this area from December 1954 to September 1969. He first lived and worked in the palace but found that being a bachelor and fairly simple person he wanted a smaller residence. The second house is still on the property and he lived in it from 1954 to 1958. His third house was a house-on-stilts which symbolized his living a way of simplicity,
modesty, gentleness and dedication for the nation and the people. For many years he had lived in a house like this one in hiding in a village. He lived in this final house until 1969.
Next we went to the Temple of Literature which is a temple devoted to the memory of Confucius and the sages and philosophers of Confucianism. Being the week of Tet or New Year, the temple was very busy with students coming to pray for a successful year in school.
In the afternoon we visited the Hoa Lo Prison, also known as the Hanoi Hilton during the Vietnam War. It was originally built by the French for Vietnamese prisoners but was then used to house around 300 American pilots. Most of the prison has been torn down in favor of a hotel and apartments but part has been preserved.
We continued our afternoon with a cyclo ride (see picture) through the own town, also built by the French, and then we watched the Thang Long Water Puppet Show. Back to the hotel for a rest and then out to look for dinner. We took a taxi out to a restaurant that
the guide had recommended but once again found it was closed for a private party so we looked for a cab back to the hotel. The cab ride over was 50,000 dong or about $2.50 so when the first cab said he wanted 100,000 to take us back we declined. Never once thinking it was only $5. A cyclo stopped and asked if we wanted a ride and I told him we needed to go too far. He said it was ok and would take us for 60,000 or $3 so we jumped in. It was a little crowded with the both of us but off we went. The guy seemed very happy and at one point tapped me on my shoulder and pointed at a sign laughing very hard. As we got closer we realized it was a train track and the red lights were flashing. We were going downhill so I guess he didn’t want to stop. Anyway we made it and never did see the train so I guess we had plenty of time but we did wonder if he knew that? After getting us back to the hotel, which was a bit of a ride, Jason
gave him 100,000 dong. He got off of his bike and shook both of our hands saying thank you over and over. All for $5.
We left the next morning for Halong Bay but did manage to eat at the restaurant (Seaons of Hanoi) in Hanoi the night before heading back to Shanghai. Taking no chances this time, we had the hotel call and make reservations for us. It was worth the wait as we had a wonderful Vietnamese meal.
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