Our three days in Vietnam's capital city of 7.5 million people have passed quickly. We did get on the sleeper train from Hue without problem and we found our allotted compartment easily. The so called soft, sleeper train was not exactly as advertised, in that the berths were as hard as rocks and not particularly clean. Fortunately, we had the four berth cabin to ourselves and we had a bottle of wine and some snacks to share and we went to sleep as the train rattled its way northward. At 0400H, the train stopped somewhere and another passenger got into one of the top berths but we were otherwise not bothered again antil our arrival in Ha Noi at 1100. We route was very scenic after daybreak and this was quite a good way to get to Ha Noi as the airport in Hue is closed until September.
Ha Noi is a busy place. Our hotel was located in the old quarter and the place was like a bee hive especially at night. We had a very good dinner at a French restaurant called The Green Tangerine and then wandered around the old quarter which has a considerable vibe at night in addition to draft beer at 25 cents a glass.
On the next day, we walked the city and visited The Temple of Literature which was originally built as a university in the 11th century. From there, we went on to the Ho Chi Minh mausoleum and the one pillar Pagoda also dating back to the 11th century. More nocturnal wandering in the old quarter that night and yesterday we went to the Silk Street where the Admiral did a little more shopping. We went to the Hoa Lo prison which was built by the nasty, wicked, imperialist, running dog French in 1850 to house the noble Vietnamese freedom fighters. It was also the site of the "Hanoi Hilton" where John McCain was held as prisoner of war in the 60's after he was shot down over Ha Noi . The museum and exhibits were quite well done but the outrageous propaganda was not but I suppose if you win a war then you get to write the history of it your own way.
We took a look at the Opera House built in grandiose French style and has been very well restored. We had an excellent lunch at the Ly Club, built in an elegant French colonial mansion and after that had have a rest. We went to a show of the Vietnamese water puppets which was enjoyable if a little strange.
More wandering around today and back to the Silk Street, of course, for some more of those must have items. Tonight we board a different train, allegedly a more luxurious one for the journey to Sapa in the highlands just south of the Chinese border.
Here are some Ha Noi Photos.
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| cocktail hour on the train to Ha Noi. The compartment was reminiscent of a prison cell |
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| vines growing on electrical cables. Old quarter Ha Noi |
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| Flower sellers |
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| Tombs of the long deceased faculty at the Museum of Literature |
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| The gardens and lake at the museum of Literature |
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| recent graduate |
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| Floral arrangement |
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| Kids on a school trip to the Museum of Literature |
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| Ha Noi boulevard |
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| The Admiral's reflection in a red lacquered door at the museum of literature |
