Hanoi - Day 2   

We began our day with a visit to the Mausoleum of Ho Chi Minh, first president of Vietnam, and leader of the opposition war against the South, and eventually the U.S.  It is a very large granite structure which we were only able to see from the exterior as it is closed for two months for maintenance (of Ho Chi Minh’s body!)  Nearby we visit the Presidential Palace, a large French-style mansion that he lived in from 1954,  when the French left, until 1958.  He then decided that he wanted to live more simply, and moved to an existing smaller apartment on the same grounds.  He ultimately abandoned this for a two room stilt house very much like the peasants lived in so that he could seem more like one of them,  Next we walk to the “One Pillar Pagoda”, a very famous site that was originally built nearly 1000 years ago.  Our final stop this morning is at the Museum of Ethnology which defines and describes the 54 ethnic groups that comprise Vietnam’s people.  53 of these are basically small hill tribes, but because they have distinct language and cultural differences they are considered separate.  The museum is outstanding, with excellent dioramas for each ethnic group, and explanations printed in Vietnamese, French, and English.   Outside there are actual reconstructions of typical homes for several of the tribes.  Amazing how different each is.  After lunch we are transported by cyclo (bicycle with 3 wheels and room for one passenger) through the old part of the city where each street, some only one block or two, is named for the wares sold on the street.  So you see two or three blocks of shoes, or ladies garments, or hardware, or you name it.  Oh, and by the way, did I mention the traffic?  These are essentially 1 lane streets that usually have at least 3 or 4 motor scooters plus a bus, car or taxi sharing the 1 lane.  We disembark at the Temple of Literature, so named because it is the gateway to the first university in Vietnam.  Many of the Vietnamese in the north practice either Confucianism or Taoism, and the temple reflects this, as its main features are Confucian.  On our way back to the hotel we make a quick stop at the monument erected in 1997 to commemorate those American pilots captured  and held in prison in Hanoi during the war, particularly John McCain, who was present for the dedication of the monument.  Our day ends with a Water Puppet Show, very interesting, and dinner at a local restaurant.  Have I mentioned steamed rice?  Stir fried vegetables?  Chicken, shrimp, pork and occasionally beef fixed so many different ways that you have never heard of?  Actually, we are enjoying the local cuisine so far.