We arrived in Hanoi in the early evening and greeted by our new tour guide Ang. As we drove to our hotel he pointed out various sites including the neon lighted bridge.
It changed colors as we drove over it giving a feel of Las Vegas rather than Hanoi. He also told us that Hanoi is the oldest city in Vietnam, dating from 1010.
We arrived at our hotel, the Intercontinental Westlake, which was very nice but a bit of a letdown after the Reverie in Saigon. However we did have a wonderful view from our balcony.
After breakfast the next morning, we headed out for some sightseeing. We rode through the streets in an electric cart, similar to a large golf cart. We rode through the ancient streets as Vietnamese families enjoyed Sunday breakfast at many of the local eateries.
The smells of exotic dishes as well as the spices emanating from the local apothecary filled the air. Unfortunately, we were on a schedule and didn’t have time to stop and explore these little shops. The idea of being on a tour by this time is wearing thin for me. I miss the ability to stop when I want and go where I want to go. Hmmm! I will have to see how we fare on the next segment of our World Tour.
After the electric car, we headed to the infamous Hanoi Hilton, with its dark history dating back to when the French controlled Vietnam. There was a lot about the I humane treatment of the Vietnamese people under their rule.
In the section on how they handled our soldiers as POWs, they still paint a pretty picture.
At least relations are healed and there is peace but it is always interesting to see the other sides perspective.
We had planned to go to Ho Chi Min’s mausoleum but there was a very long wait. We made a group decision to skip this.
Instead, we walked along the avenue where they have done mosaic tiling for over 4 kilometers. According to our guide, they have used over 30 artists and many laborers to do the work. Different companies sponsor different sections.
We had lunch at Koto, a non-profit that trains children in restaurant skills.
After lunch we visited a Temple.
The pagoda was very beautiful and there were many bonsai.
Our last stop was the Temple of Literature which is over 900 years old.
The temple is part of the Imperial Academy. The statue is the first president of the university in 1070.
Bruce and I were getting some good luck.
We relaxed by the pool late in the afternoon. I think Keith had a snooze.
Then Ang picked us up for the water puppet show.
We walked around in the area. It was alive with activity on Sunday night.
We had dinner at a restaurant with a view.
And again way too much food!
I’m so glad we made it to Hanoi. It is a lovely city. Tomorrow we are off to Halong Bay.
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