Tuesday, January 9 - Exploring the highlights of Hanoi

We had a great breakfast outside by the pool at the hotel.  They offer an extensive buffet - with egg station, Vietnamese noodle soup station, pastries, breads, yogurt, juices, French press coffee, etc.  David joined us for more coffee as we ate as he had seen us from where he was sitting eating.  The breakfast buffet is offered in two restaurant locations.  It misted slightly and hotel staff brought a huge umbrella to put over our table which was then completely protected from the light rain.

We met up with Tien at 9:30 for our full day of exploring Hanoi.  He packed in an amazing amount since we just have today as we are heading south tomorrow early.

We started with a visit to the 6th century Tran Quoc Pagoda which is on the edge of one of the many large lakes in Hanoi.  Tien told us that there is always a temple with a pagoda but a temple doesn’t always have a pagoda.  The Temple is for the Viet people to worship their home gods and pagodas are Buddhist which came later.

   

Viet gods representing mountains, water

The three of us in front of the pagoda

Pagoda reflected in Lake

We then drove to the Ho Chi Minh mausoleum passing the Communist party building, the Parliament building and other governmental buildings.  This is where you realize (if you haven’t already) that you are in a Communist country.  The mausoleum is serious business for the Vietnamese.  We went through security and we could not take photos while in the mausoleum or the immediate surrounding area.  You walk quite a distance down a walkway, turn right and along a sidewalk, then around the main mausoleum building and then finally enter, taking off hats, putting away cameras etc.  You walk up some steps passed many guards in white uniforms.  It is a silent area so you must respect that as well.  It was warm and humid outside but inside it was cool as you walk up the interior staircase that has red rubber carpet liner.  You go up and then around the actual open coffin with Ho Chi Minh displayed.  You walk around 3 sides and then back down the stairs on the other side and out of the building.  

Once outside, you are allowed to take photos again and proceed to see other buildings - the outside of the Presidential palace which is still used by the current President - as well as the 1954 house where Ho Chi Minh lived for a number of years as he didn’t like living in the palace.  He wanted a simpler life style.  They then built him a stilt house like those of the mountain people where what would be the first floor is open for animals and the living space is on the 2nd floor.  He lived there until becoming ill and being moved to a hospital built a few yards away where he died in 1969.  They also have 3 of his cars displayed - including a car from Russia and a Peugeot from France.

Outside the Mausoleum 

Guards who monitor the mausoleum -  apparently they do a full fledged changing of the guard periodically

Tien then took us to the One Pillar Pagoda built in the 11th century.  It is a pagoda supported on one pillar in a lotus pond.

One Pillar Pagoda

Then we walked around the outside of the B-52 Museum.  The front yard of the museum has the remains of the B-52 shot down in December 1972.  It is pretty amazing how much of the plane remains and that they were able to retrieve it.  

Missile in front of the B 52 Museum 

Large portions of the bombed B 52

Then we headed towards the restaurant for lunch driving through some of the old part of Hanoi where the shops have massive displays of goods for the holidays.  The next one being Tet, their Lunar New Year.  It was an overwhelming mass of red!

Red decor everywhere!

Lunch proved to be another bunch of courses - a set menu for 3.  Some of the courses were similar to yesterdays but with variations.  This restaurant was in one of the very narrow building so just had 2 tables in the ground floor.  While we were waiting for the food, a man came in and sat at the other table.  Eventually, he asked where we were from and it turns out he is Canadian but has been in Hanoi for 21 years and this was one of his restaurants as was the one we went to yesterday!

Restaurant owner and his cut-out

The next part of our day was to go to the Ethnology Museum but before we went, we dropped Bob off at the hotel so he could take the afternoon off.  Tien then took us to the museum but via a stop at a Lacquer workshop and shop.  It was fascinating to see the 3 different techniques in action.  The overall process is the same for all three and some pieces may have all 3 variations.  The method peculiar to Vietnam is using eggshells.  They also burn the eggshells so that they achieve varying colors from white to tan to help bring out various designs.  The second method is mother of pearl and the third is painting.  

Lovely local dresses

Eggshells used in lacquer- bowl of burnt eggshells on right

The Ethnology museum is quite new - opened in 1997.   The intent is to show the culture of the 54 original groups of people in Vietnam.  There are displays inside that include costume, tools, weaving, fish baskets, water puppets..  But the best part is the garden where you follow a circular walk along which are examples of the different types of houses built by the various groups.  These include clay houses from the people who live at the highest elevation to wood houses to bamboo houses.  They had people come from the different locations to construct the houses so that they reflect what they actual look like and how they work.

Loom in bamboo house

Tall stilt house

Many fashion photos being taken in front of traditional house

Once we left the museum, we had already walked over 4 miles and it was getting close to 4pm but Tien really wanted us to experience a ride in a bicycle rickshaw so Katy and I clambered into our respective rickshaws and took off into the traffic!  

Me in my rickshaw! And Katy behind in hers