After deep-in-the-jungle Angkor and sleep Luang Prabang, Hanoi is an assault on
the senses. We arrived late at night
after some flight delays and got a first-hand account on the frenetic pace here
in the taxi ride to the hotel- it was wild.
We almost got run off the road by a giant piece of construction
equipment. It was a late-night
room-service dinner for us, something off of the American menu as a reminder
that in a big city, you can have international cuisine.
We slightly over-slept the next morning, a combination of a
cold bug for Julie and exhaustion for me, but got up and moving on the rainy
day. Our first stop was probably the
most bizarre of the trip- Ho Chi Minh.
When I was in Beijing
I went to see Mao and have been fascinated by the fact that these famous
dictators are just preserved and out there for the world to see a half-century
after their death. The taxi driver
dropped us off in right next to the mausoleum plaza- but we had to walk about a
mile around to actually get to the entrance.
By the time arrived the rain had stopped and we checked bags and
followed the long lines to see him. I’ll
be honest- the best thing was the air conditioning inside. But now I’ve seen 2/3 famous preserved dead
communists and will hopefully get to Lenin before I die. It’s a weird bucket list, I realize.
After Ho Chi Minh, we went through the gardens behind the old
palace. It was pretty, but getting
hot. Really hot. We tried to find the one-pillar pagoda, but
it was hidden somewhere nearby and just not showing up. The museum was there, but I was pretty done
with Uncle Ho by that point, so we decided instead to visit something a little
older.
The Temple of Literature was a highlight in Hanoi, and only a short walk away. Like the Buddhist temples I’d seen in China, it was
arranged in several courtyards, a perfectly preserved medieval university. We could see the first four courtyards that
day. It was still hot, but being in such
a lovely environment with animal topiaries on the grass and curling dragons on
the roof made it easier to bear. There
was a group leaving an offering at the Confucian altar so we got to see –and
hear- the ritual. The drum and bell are
LOUD!
Lunch was at a nearby buffet, a sampling of traditional
Vietnamese food. It was a little expensive
but there wasn’t much around. We didn’t
do great with the Rough Guide food recommendations here- it got better once we
found trip advisor.
Given that the heat index had passed 120, we gave up on the
day after lunch and went back to the hotel to rest in the AC and swim. Swimming never happened- we crashed. Oops.
Well, dinner back in the city made up for it. We ate near the cathedral, at an iron table
on the balcony of the second floor. Hanoi beer was served,
which wasn’t as good as Beerlao, but the spring rolls were delicious and the
coconut curry hit the spot. After, we
wandered down to the lake area and took pictures, strolling along with what
seemed like the entire population of the city.
We had ice cream from a stand (which consisted of me pointing at
whatever the kid in front of me got, holding up two fingers, and then holding
up a handful of money and letting the server take what I owe- minimal
communication is key!) and met some local teens who wanted to practice their
English. It was an exhausting first day,
even with a nap, and an assault on your senses all around- wet in the morning,
unbearably hot in the midday, smelly wherever you go, and a never-ceasing
cacophony of engines and horns from millions of cars and motorbikes. Tomorrow we hope to see more of the sites and
finally do some souvenir 
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