Today we didn't venture very far. We thought we'd spend a bit of time in Hanoi itself. So no pictures of blue-grey cliffs in the distance. However I fear they will be back with interest in my next post which will be after Halong Bay. Click here to see some images of the place which will give some idea of what the place is about. We will be staying overnight on a Chinese junk in the bay, very exciting. But that's to come tomorrow.
After I spent a few minutes taking some photos of the many strange sights you see in the street (see my post on "The Streets of Hanoi" below) we ventured out to Ho Chi Minh's mausolrum. It was very well done in a Leninist / Dear Leader kind of way but it was still creepy. Security and serious-ness were definitely the order of the day. We were not allowed to take cameras or bags or anything else (1 handbag allowed per woman) into the place, were warned to keep quiet and take hands out of pockets etc. The guy next to me in the line, a pleasant Mexican, was pulled out of the line and told to fix himself up because he was too scruffy. It was all about showing respect so I guess that was fair enough.
Not only have they preserved the venerable Ho, they have also preserved the cars he was driven around in. The gardens around the mausoleum are quite nice, and Ho's very modest home is in the gardens, only a stone's throw from the palace (pictured) built by the French. A huge contrast. The guide told us the palace is now used to house visiting dignitaries. He told us John Howard had stayed there but not Kevin Rudd! The things you learn on your travels.....
After that we visited the Museum of Ethnology. This museum shows the different peoples who inhabit Vietnam. There are over 48 of them, the majority in the north. The museum was actually quite good and interesting. Some of the artefacts were beautiful and really well made. The clothing was really pretty without being over the top in the Chinese way.
One of the features of the museum was the buildings from many of the tribes. They rebuilt a number of the buildings in the museum grounds. You could then see and compare the different styles that were adapted to the different regions were they lived - cold, hot, wet, mountain tops etc. Quite well done. We had a really nice lunch there and then moved on to the old university, the Temple of Literature.
The University dates back from the 11th century and is set in beautiful grounds. The names of the graduates from the first 500 years are, quite literally, set in stone. Some of the praying areas are, as usual, just beautiful, and some of the carvings and paintings were absolutely magnificent. While we were there a number of students turned up in Vietnamese traditional long dress. This apparently brings them luck for the exams. It certainly brightened the place up :)
I am going to have to leave it there for today as I have to get ready for the 3.5 hour bus ride to Halong Bay. It will be at least a couple of days before I get access to the web again. To the family, the gang at the office, and everyone else, have a great festive season.
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