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Published: June 29th 2015
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Arrived in Hanoi at 8.50 am Tue 16 Jun after overnight (4hr) stay in Sama Sama Hotel in Kuala Lumpur airport. The first task was to queue for a visa and then look for our transfer to Hanoi City. This was the first experience of the heat which was about 15 degrees warmer than Perth! We were driven along a fast moving highway which could have been anywhere in the world into the crowded bustling streets of Hanoi with its thousands of bicycles, cyclotaxis and scooters carrying anything and everything. Our hotel was in the Old Quarter and the streets were too narrow for a car to pass down so we were met by the hotel owner's daughter and led down an alley way past people squatting on stools eating and other people cooking. The hotel was called North Hostel 2 and was probably only 4 metres wide at the front. This is typical of a lot of buildings as taxes are determined by the width of the property! what they lack in width they make up for in height! Our room wasn't available so we went out for a walk. It wasn't long before we were being offered cyclo-rides, taxis,
fruit, fans, hats.... We found a café opposite a catholic cathedral ( vestige of French colonialism) used the wifi and planned a route. Tom tried some Streetfood, a Pillowcase? and something else which wasnt as nice. We walked past a water puppet theatre and down to Hoan Kiem Lake. At the top end is Ngoc Son temple out in the lake which we visited by crossing the Huc Bridge (Rising Sun). 70% of Vietnemese people are Buddhists and burn incense and Ghost (fake) money in memory of their ancestors. We walked past the Martyrs Monument dedicated to those who died in Vietnam's struggle for independence. We visited 102 Hang Bac House which looks like a normal Vietnamese house from the outside but, passing what looks like someone's kitchen, upstairs there is a highly ornate temple. It's an assault on the senses, the incense and vivid colours are a massive contrast to the grey tones of the building. From Here we walked to Hang Buom to visit Bach Ma Temple which is said to be the oldest in the city. Our last stop was East Gate which is the only gate remaining of the 16 which formed part of the medieval
walled city of Hanoi. We took a cyclotaxis back to our hotel after the mandatory bartering from 150,000 VD TO 50,000! It was such a relief when we arrived to find that they had carried our luggage up the 4 flights of stone stairs to our room. It was basic but for $11.80 a night with en suite and a small balcony who can complain? The family were also really nice people. We decided to eat out somewhere nice so after consulting the oracle of Trip Advisor we ended up in Cau Go. The 3rd floor restaurant overlooks the Hoan Kiem lake which is lit up at night and you can eat outside on the balcony or seek refuge inside with the air conditioning! I had Vietnamese Springrolls followed by Seabass with Passionfruit sauce. Tom had Cau Go Lake Shrimp Cake followed by Grilled Lang Fish with Vietnamese Five Spice. it was ok but not as nice as we had anticipated. On the way back to the hotel we ran the gauntlet of motor scooters and pavement sellers. I was coerced into carrying a yoke with two baskets so Tom could take a photo and buying some bananas.
On
Wed 17 Jun we took a taxi to the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum in Bạ Dinh Square where in 1945 Ho Chi Minh read the Declaration of Independence. Contrary to his wish for a simple cremation, the embalmed body of Ho Chi Minh is preserved in the cooled, central hall of the mausoleum, which is protected by a military honour guard. The body lies in a glass case with dimmed lighting. The mausoleum is closed during October and November while his body is sent to Russia to be restored, but is normally open daily from 07:00 to 11.00 to the public. Lines of visitors, including visiting foreign dignitaries, pay their respects at the mausoleum every day. Rules regarding dress and behaviour are strictly enforced by staff and guards. Legs must be covered (no shorts, or miniskirts) And you have to remove hats and sunglasses when entering the building Visitors must be silent, walk in two lines. It is amazing how this charismatic leader is still loved and revered 46 years after he died and very sad that he died before Vietnam was reunited and at peace! In the grounds of the museum there is the Stilt House where he lived
intermittently between 1958 and 1969 which is in stark contrast to his official residence, the opulent Presidential Palace only metres away.
The One Pillar Pagoda which was originally built in 1049 is regarded alongside the Perfume Pagoda as one of Vietnam's two most iconic temples. The temple is built of wood on a single stone pillar 1.25 m in diameter, and it is designed to resemble a lotus blossom, which is a Buddhist symbol of purity, since a lotus blossoms in a muddy pond. In 1954, the French forces destroyed the pagoda before withdrawing from Vietnam after the First Indochina War and was rebuilt afterwards. At the exit we were approached by a cyclotaxi driver who offered to show us the sights. We negotiated a rate to take us to the Temple of Literature, find us a restaurant for lunch and take us to Hoa Lo Prison 'the Hanoi Hilton'. We first went to Van Mieu, the Temple of Literature, which is Hanoi's oldest university. Founded in 1070 and dedicated to Confucius, Van Mieu was the main centre of education for Vietnamese mandarins who were educated there for several centuries. In the 15th century, Emperor Le Thanh Tong declared
that stelae (stone tablets) should be placed for everybody being conferred a doctorate. There are now 82 stelae with the inscriptions of 1304 doctor laureates in the temple, all of which are placed on the back of a tortoise - symbol of wisdom. In Vietnamese mythology, the tortoise, the unicorn, the dr.agon and the phoenix are holy animals - although only one is real! It is said that the placement of stelae signifies "everlasting respect to talent". The Museum is a walked structure and is like an oasis in a frenetically busy city. Furthermore, Van Mieu is architecturally very interesting. In the five yards of Van Mieu you can experience different stages of Vietnamese architecture. There are for instance the two horse dismounting stelae in front of the temple where those who wanted to enter the temple had to dismount their horse. Between the first and the second yard, you see the beautiful Great Middle Gate. In the third yard, the 82 stelae surround the Well of Heavenly Clarity. The fourth yard houses the Courtyard of the Sage - it is here where Confucius and other sages are worshipped. In the fifth yard you can see what was the study
room some centuries ago. A model of the temple and several old photographs are displayed in the building at the very end of the yards.
On leaving the museum our driver was waiting for us and transferred us, on a white knuckle ride through Hanoi traffic, to our lunch destination, Quan an Ngon. Next stop was the prison! Hoa Lo prison was built in 1896 and was designed for 450 prisoners but housed 2,000 at its peak in 1930. During the Vietnam War John McCain, who went on to become a US senator and presidential candidate was imprisoned there and later returned to Hanoi to visit the prison. It tells a very gruesome story of torture and deprivation first by the French and then later by the Vietnamese. You have to read between the lines otherwise you would think that American servicemen were happy and well treated during their captivity. The guillotine is a particularly grizzly reminder of dark times in Vietnam's history. Our driver was waiting for us when we left the museum and transferred us back to our hotel. Having eaten at lunch time we had our remaining cheese and biscuits. We were due to be picked
up for our tour to Sa Pa in the evening so Tom booked the hotel for an extra night so we had the room until we were picked up. Next stop Sa Pa!
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