For a map of my travels, click here.
Today was my "offical" tour (with guide) of Hanoi, and then to the airport for my flight to Hue. We went back to a lot of places I went to the previous day, but the weather was marginally better (but I still hadn't seen the sun in Vietnam), so the pictures might be a little better, too.
First stop was Ho Chi Minh's tomb, but this time it was open, so I got to go in. I was expecting a long line (which was the case when I visited Lenin's tomb), but we got there just before it opened, and I was one of the first in line.
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| Back at the tomb |
As is the case with Lenin's tomb, they don't let you take pictures, and you have to keep moving, so I got about 10 seconds to look at him. He looks well-preserved, mostly because he is well-preserved. Apparently they send him to Russia every couple of years for a touch up by the experts there.
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| Smartly leading my group of viewers from the tomb. |
Next door to the tomb is the Presidential Palace, which is where the current President (Truong Tan Sang, if you were wondering), lives. It was formerly the residence of the French Governor General.
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| Presidential Palace |
Ho Chi Minh, being the man of the people that he was, didn't want to live in the palace, so he had his own residence built a few hundred yards a way.
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| Ho's residence |
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| One of Ho's cars |
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| Ho's bedroom |
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| Ho's office |
Some time in the 1950's it was decided that his house was too small to receive guests, so they built a pavilion about a hundred yards away, which also contained an entrance to a bomb shelter.
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| Ho's pavilion |
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| Ho's pavillion |
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| Another view of Ho's house |
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| Ho's office in the pavilion |
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| Official Ho Chi Minh Cafe, Fast Food, and Souvenir Shop |
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| Back at the tomb |
Around the tomb area that had several big screens (scoreboard size) playing videos of tributes to Ho Chi Minh. One of the tributes in song started with "Ho, Ho, Ho Chi Minh . . . " which brought back wonderful memories of the late 1960's. By the way, I did not see Jane Fonda anywhere in Hanoi.
After the visit to the Ho Chi Minh sites, we went a few blocks to the
Temple of Literature, which was the location of Vietnam's first University.
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| Entrance to the Temple of Literature |
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| Temple of Literature |
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| Temple of Literature |
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| Inside a pavilion at the Temple of Literature |
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| Musicians playing at the Temple |
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| Distinguished visitor at the Temple |
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| A large drum at the Temple |
After visiting the temple, it was time to go to the airport for my flight to Hue. I snapped a few pictures on the way.
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| One of the feared soldiers of the North Vietnamese Army |
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| Local vegetable transport |
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| West Lake, which is the biggest lake in Hanoi |
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| This captures Vietnam in one picture: skinny houses, karaoke, and people wearing masks while riding motorcycles. |
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| More of the artwork along the highway |
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| Suburban commerciall street |
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| A tribute to America |
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| This is the only thing I saw that resembled an American shopping center. It was out by the airport. |
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| The terminal at Hanoi Airport |
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| Inside the terminal |
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| Leaving Hanoi, and on to Hue |
Next:
The Hue Rain Festival
