Hanoi - Part Three

After a very enjoyable two and a half days on Halong Bay, (and four hour drive) we returned to Hanoi to experience more of the city.  We braved the streets again, still unaware of the correct street-crossing technique, but managed to survive an evening of shopping and sightseeing.

We visited multiple antique shops, selling Vietnamese and Chinese collectibles such as statues, pottery, paintings and carvings of all sorts.  Sophia happily found a very unique elephant statue to add to her growing collection of elephants from Southeast Asian countries.  For Jennifer, it was a beautiful old teapot she found in the back of a locked case, covered with dust.  Cooper did the best of us all, however, haggling with a shopkeeper to purchase a set of ten guitar-shaped keychains with “Vietnam” printed on them for less than $3 USD.   Gotta love his confidence and business savvy! (his choice of souvenirs though...debatable)

We snacked on a few small pastries that we purchased from the basket of a woman on the street (the French influence can definitely be seen in the bakery business), but needed something more substantial.  So we found a nice little cafe adjacent to the Hoan Kiem lake where we enjoyed a mix of local food and a pizza (for the kids), as well as free wifi to catch up on email and to set my fantasy football roster.  The best part of this little place was the view of the very busy street corner where a constant flow of people, cars and mopeds sped by. 

The next morning, our final full day in Hanoi, we scheduled a tour based on recommendations from the hotel staff.  We met our guide, "Johnny", and headed out to explore the city. We made several stops along the way - the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, Presidential Palace, Ho Chi Minh's residence, the Military Museum ("Victory Museum") and the Vietnam Museum of Ethnology.

Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum

The Mausoleum, Presidential Palace and Ho Chi Minh's residence were all within walking distance of one another in and around the Ba Dinh Square.  One thing that was abundantly clear during this portion of our tour was the complete admiration, respect and love of Ho Chi Minh by the public... or at least that's the story that's portrayed.

The Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, built in 1973 and inspired by Vladimir Lenin's mausoleum in Moscow, displays the embalmed remains of the former President of Vietnam.  The granite building is massive, and is constantly under the watch of an Honor Guard.  It was unfortunately closed during the time of our visit - apparently the embalmed remains of Ho Chi Minh require some freshening up from time to time, so we didn't have the opportunity to view the inside.  However, from what I understand, there are some very specific rules regarding dress and behavior inside.  For example, legs must be covered (no shorts or miniskirts) and visitors must be silent, walk in two lines, keep hands out of their pockets, and not cross their arms.  Just some tips to consider if you are visiting yourself.

Honor Guard @ Mausoleum

Presidential Palace

The Presidential Palace is located just next door and is clearly of French design.  Like all government buildings in the country, it is painted yellow to project wealth and prosperity (according to Johnny).  The Palace was built by the colonizing French in "European Design" because they perceived their culture as an improvement over any other culture...in particular the native Vietnamese culture.  This tendency of the French to ignore the local culture  was clearly a sticking point for Johnny, and he practically oozed hatred for the French as he discussed their colonization and occupation of the country.  It's said that Ho Chi Minh refused to live in the Presidential Palace after Vietnam achieved independence in 1954.  His refusal to do so, and to live in a "common" house, was also a point of pride and respect for the citizens of Vietnam

Ho Chi Minh Residence

Instead, Ho Chi Minh lived in a very simple stilted home nearby.  Ho Chi Minh's residence is raised on stilts, and has only two smalls rooms.  It's said that he liked living in this home because it reminded him of the homes in which he took refuge when he was a revolutionary.  Though designed to mimic the stilted homes of common Hanoi residents, from what we could see, it was significantly higher quality and more polished than anything else we saw in the city.  Oh - and it had a bomb shelter immediately next door - which was unique to homes in Hanoi.

As we walked back through the botanic gardens and pomelo tree-lined paths that surround the Presidential Palace grounds, Johnny shared more perspectives about Ho Chi Minh.  Again, his distaste for the French was palpable, dwarfed only by his respect and love for Ho Chi Minh.  Several of his comments clearly demonstrated the strength of propaganda in Vietnam, for example, he was sure that the only possible way for the Vietnamese to push out the French was to follow Communist ideals and Communist rule.  He later described how the massive grounds of the Presidential Palace were used by Ho Chi Minh to provide fruit and fish to the local population.  My favorite, perhaps, was his comment stating that locals wore face masks as they walk and ride on mopeds throughout the city to avoid getting a tan...not because there is significant pollution in the city.  OK, then.

Museum of Ethnology

The next stop on our tour was The Museum of Ethnology.  There are 54 ethnic groups who call Vietnam home and the museum provides a view into the life, culture and history of these diverse groups.  It was very interesting and provided the perfect venue to escape the rain that had moved into Hanoi on our final day. A favorite for the kids, the museum included about a dozen full size "home" models showing how local people live in various parts of the country. 

After a morning of touring, we were all hungry, and Johnny recommended a great little place nearby.   The restaurant, called KOTO (Know One, Teach One) is part of a hospitality training program developed by Jimmy Pham, a Vietnamese-Australian, giving disadvantaged youth the chance to learn and be successful in their lives.  I highly recommend checking it out if you visit Hanoi.  The food was delicious, the service was good, and by eating there you are supporting education and housing for Vietnamese teenagers in the hospitality industry.

Victory Museum

After lunch, we traveled to the "Victory Museum", which consists of historical accounts, artifacts and photographs from the early conflicts between Vietnam and its neighbors, (China, Thailand, etc.), later conflicts with the French and ultimately the American War.  Every aspect of the museum and Johnny's commentary were interesting.   As would be expected, the museum was full of triumphant stories of bravery and superior military will and strategy.  You'd find the corresponding alternative point of view in any US museum I'm sure.  

As we entered the area of the museum dedicated to the "American War", I immediately felt different than I did in the other portions of the museum.  Photos of aircraft, tanks and jeeps that were successfully captured or destroyed by the Vietnamese were a blunt reminder of how many Americans were killed or severley injured in Vietnam.  Just outside the museum, were more reminders, as dozens of aircraft (American and others) along with scrap pieces of many others that had been shot down during the war were on display.

Victory Museum

I was also quickly reminded of how many Vietnamese were killed and injured as well, when a man in his 70's approached and, in broken English, asked where I was from.  When I told him I was American, he nodded, shook my hand, and proceeded to show me a large scar from his ear to the middle of his chest as he pointed to a picture of young Vietnamese soldiers.  What do you say to that?  I wasn't quite sure what to make of this, but it was obvious he was at the same time proud of his service to his country and saddened by the toll the war had on both his country and ours.    

Quan An Ngon

For dinner, we decided to try Quan An Ngon, based on the recommendation of one of Jennifer's Wake Forest friends, Shannon.  Quan An Ngon is a hawker center type restaurant that offers traditional Vietnamese street food without the worry of eating traditional Vietnamese street food.  It was a great experience.  We sat at a long communal table and were handed menus with hundreds of options to choose from.  We tried a variety of Vietnamese style pork dumplings, fried prawn, fried chicken wings (for Cooper), Vietnamese noodles with chicken, and Pho with sliced beef. I would provide the Vietnamese names for these dishes (which sound far more exotic), but I don't remember them.

After dinner, we got one more thrill as we grabbed a cab and proceeded to drive directly into oncoming traffic - an appropriate good-bye to Hanoi.  Dodging a bus, a few hundred mopeds and several women carrying baskets full of produce, we made it back to the hotel for our final hours in Hanoi.  

The next morning, we were greeted by nearly every one of the hotel staff as they wished us well and said goodbye.  We took one last walk down the busy alley and the through the market just outside the hotel's front door and hopped aboard a small van to take us to the airport.  A few hours later, it felt good to return "home" to Singapore, but I have to admit the safe, rule following drive home from the Changi airport seemed quite boring after the near death experiences of travelling through Hanoi!   In all, the trip to Vietnam was amazing, eye-opening and unforgettable experience.