Wednesday is the first of three days to explore Hanoi without interruption. We've put together our list of must and may dos and a tentative "schedule" after consulting the weather man to make sure we don't miss anything important. Our focus today is a visit to all things related to Hồ Chí Minh; his Museum, Mausoleum and former residence. Hồ Chí Minh, or Uncle Hồ as he is known here,was the central figure in the expulsion of the French and US and the unification of the North and South. He is treated more like a God (a saviour of sorts) than a political leader and seems to have a special place in the heart of his people, unlike anything I have ever seen or experienced. After a quick breakfast, Phở for me and eggs for Kền, we grabbed a cab to go to the Mausoleum. Upon arrival we were absorbed by a larger group of locals off to see their hero that were pleased to see westerners that held Uncle Hồ in high esteem. LOL, on our part it started out as more curiosity than respect but that changed during the day.
Security is tight and lines are usually long to see this iconic figure and Vietnamese hero so it was a fairly lengthy journey from the gate to the actual structure where Uncle Hồ is laid out. There are lots of military folks along the route making sure that no one strays from the assigned route or take pictures/uses electronics in the restricted areas. After 15 minutes or so, we enter the coolness of the Mausoleum, a gargantuan structure made entirely of marble (21.6 meters x 41.2 meters) and the crowd goes silent. The embalmed body of Uncle Hồ is displayed in a glass case with dim lights in the cooled, central hall of the mausoleum protected by a military honour guard. He looks like he is asleep rather than deceased so the two month spa treatments he receives in Russia every year where he is sent on vacation to restore and preserve the body are really effective. While in the main room, a respectful silence is maintained and soon we are back outside for the inevitable photo op.
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| Uncle Ho (looks a bit like Colonel Saunders of KFC fame) |
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| Photo op! |
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| Mausoleum |
Off to the Presidential Palace and the smaller dwellings that were occupied by Uncle Hồ to see how this iconic hero had lived. His cars, books, etc. are all on display. The grounds and gardens are beautiful and tended by a host of women ensuring that there are no weeds in the lawn!! The pond is brimming with fat, juicy carp that jump when fed by the guards.
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| Presidential Palace |
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| A huge car; Zis provided by the Russians |
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| Ho's Office |
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| Living Quarters |
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| Hungry carp in the Fish Pond |
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| View across the pond |
Next, we did a quick tour of the One Pillar Pagoda and the surrounding temples. The temple, built to resemble a lotus blossom, is an iconic symbol of Vietnam and couples wanting to have a son come here to pray.
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| One Pillar Pagoda |
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| Now that's a lantern |
Next, we are off to the HCM Museum which featured a collection of photos and such illustrating the history of Vietnam from the occupation of the French until reunification on the second floor and an interesting collection of artwork and sculptures related to the same timeframe. Very cool. Hard to believe that one man could make such a big difference in the world.
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| Breaking the chains of poverty |
Next on our agenda is the Temple of Literature, Vietnam's first National University built in 1070. The grounds and buildings here are spectacular as well so we linger for awhile but it's getting late and we are hungry so we head off on foot to the French Quarter.
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| Touch heart of phoenix for wisdom and head of turtle for good health and longevity |
Time to get some steps in as we hadn't done much walking the last couple of days between the cruise and the driving back and forth to Halong Bay. After an hour or so, we are in the French Quarter and start seeing a number of embassies; the French embassy, of course but also Singapore, China and Argentina. I asked on of the guards about the Canadian embassy and he pointed down the road. LOL, we didn't run into it so maybe I was supposed to walk back to Canada.
We had selected a restaurant from Ken's tour book and sat down. The menus appeared relatively quickly but the waiter never came back so we headed across the street to a little cafe and had a great lunch of fresh rolls and noodle bowls. Ken was dying for a coffee so we located a Starbucks close by. I headed off to do some shopping and left Ken to enjoy his java.
After a couple hours, I headed back to the hotel with a few more packages. Ken had shifted from coffee to beer and was perched on one of the little blue stools at the Corner Bar across the street from the hotel. Starting to wonder whether my treasures are going to fit into my suitcase so I start rearranging things in suitcases ...
Soon enough we are headed to the Siesta Hotel and the Red Bean Restaurant for dinner with Steve and Kay (The British couple from the Halong Bay Cruise). The food was fantastic and the company even better! We shared some crispy spring rolls and veggie tempura for appetizers and had a variety of mains that were all spectacular. Steve and I ordered a beef dish cooked in bamboo; something I will definitely try to recreate at home if I can find fresh bamboo. Ken had beef rolled in some type of leaf that he raved about and Kay had the Catch of the Day which featured a range of seafood. Dinner was washed down with a couple bottles of Kiwi wine and a great deal of conversation. After a longish break, we decided on desserts; a shared molten chocolate cake with ice cream for Kay and I, chocolate mousse for Ken and creme brule for Steve.
Pictures to follow - technical difficulties
The others wanted coffee to top off the night but were told it was too late for that at 10:00 pm. LOL, that all changed when Ken and Kay filled out the survey provided by the hotel and identified good as the rating for beverages. The food and beverage manager said they would make (and comp) the coffee and asked that the survey be changed. They really take that stuff seriously. Hospitality staff in Canada wouldn't have given a rat's ass about much other than the size of their tip.
Soon enough, the lovely evening came to an end though email addresses and invites to look each other up if ever in the other's vicinity so you never know. More tomorrow.
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