Last day in Hanoi

Trip Start Jul 11, 2008
1
12
Trip End Jul 26, 2008


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Thursday, July 24, 2008

Hey everybody, after some technical difficulties heres the rest of our trip in Vietnam.  The drive back from Halong Bay was nice, giving us time to take in the countryside.  The landscape right around Halong is similair to the Bay, only with no water.  Huge chunks of limestone push skyward out of an otherwise flat landscape.  After a few miles the countryside turns mostly flat, with small towns and local waystations dotting the sides of the highway.  Due to the steady stream of visitors to Halong Bay, this seemingly remote highway has a constant flow of traffic, so the whole way back to Hanoi is livened up by the Vietnamese specialty of the roads- crazy but competent driving.  Our van driver showed great skill as he passed larger trucks, several times forcing oncoming traffic to take to the shoulder.  I still can't get over the fact that, other than a few horns honking, no one seems to slow down or lose their cool.  One of the many nice features of the drive was the fact that there are no billboards- imagine that
John with his Lion
John with his Lion
!  Miles and miles of idyllic scenery and not one McDonald's sign!  Also, as we watch the endless checkerboard of rice paddies on each side of the road, many with farmers in straw hats hunched over, tending their crops, it feels like we skipped back a few centuries.  With the rice being picked by hand, and the heaviest piece of machinery used being a water buffalo, it was easy to see the inspiration for the stories we had seen reenacted at the water-pupppet theatre in Hanoi.  Halfway to Hanoi we stopped for a bathroom and snack break at a place that, among other things, sold some of the most impressive stone carved statues I have ever come across.  If I had an extra 38,000 dollars and a yard to put them in I would have bought a pair of the most massive and beautiful stone lions I have ever seen.  Maybe next time!
    Upon arriving back in Hanoi, we were dropped off at our hotel.  After some afternoon excursions around the Old Quarter and some down time in the room(thank goodness for air-conditioning), we prepared to go to dinner at Wild Lotus, a highly recommended, authentic Vietnamese fine-dining restaraunt.  The decor was stunning and the food exotic and delicious- a nice ending to another great day in Vietnam.
     In the morning, after debating about what to do on our last day in Hanoi,  we decided to start by visiting the Ho Chi Minh Masoleum, since it would be open for viewing today.  We took a taxi to the site, and as we neared it we could see hundreds of people lined up to view the preserved body of Ho Chi Minh.  We got in line and in true Communist fashion there was no admission fee.  However, our camera was held(no pictures or video in the masoleum) while we went in.  There were definately some tourists in line, but the majority of the people seemed to be Vietnamese, coming to pay their respects to the man who freed them from French occupation
Buddha Statuary
Buddha Statuary
. As we neared the impressive granite structure, the crowd's demeanor became somber and respectful.  The formally dressed guards stationed in and around the masoleum made sure that proper behavior was followed, and once inside the masoleum no talking is allowed.  The scene inside is somewhat strange (it's not everyday you get to view a leader's preserved body who died in 1969), but also oddly moving.  Regardless of your political views, the sense of reverence and nationalistic pride exuded by the Vietnamese citizens as they file past Ho Chi Minh cannot be denied.  Kim and I were both glad we had the chance to experience it first hand.
     After leaving the masoleum, we decided to taxi back to the Hoan Kiem Lake area for lunch at Restaraunt Bobby Chinn, run by local celebrity Bobby Chinn who now has a cooking show on the Discovery channel.  The restaraunt was nice and cool and the food was good.  Since we were leaving for the airport around 5:00 p.m., we spent the last few hours buying souvenirs and packing up for the long journey home.  Hanoi is definately a city that has fascinating discoveries around every corner, and we thoroughly enjoyed the time we spent here.  
     After loading the taxi and heading to the airport, we soaked in our last mad-dash car ride in Hanoi.  Now on to Bangkok...
Hanoi hotels Slideshow

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