January 9, 2017

January 9, 2017

We wake fresh and relaxed in Hanoi, surprisingly with little jet lag.  No matter the distance it seems to be easier going west.  We are up early and off to breakfast in the hotel.  It is wonderful. We start with the traditional Vietnamese dish of Pho (pronounced Fa).  Pho is essentially a fancy chicken noodle soup which I spiced up with some peppers and curry-like sauce.  They also had our favorite, French chocolate croissants.

Our tour group started the day at the Old Quarter with a walking tour to get closeups of everything being sold.  It is all done right at curbside with seemingly little regard for western-style hygiene. Women are washing chickens on the sidewalk and dentist chairs are in full view of the street.

We returned to Hanoi’s central lake to learn a little history. For a thousand years this area of Northern Vietnam was dominated by the Chinese empire.  The name Nam Viet (or Nan Yue) referred to the southern Yue people.   Nam Viet tried numerous times to escape Chinese rule but were unable until 983 AD, when they defeated the Chinese in battle.  Vietnam finally had its independence, but not without effort.  After the Mongols under Genghis Khan overran China in the 13th century, they invaded Vietnam three times but were repulsed.  The victorious Viet general Tran Hung Dao has a temple dedicated to him on one end of the lake. It is accessed by a pretty red bridge.

We continue the history lesson at Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum.  Ho spent his life trying to free Vietnam from the French.  At the close of WWII, Ho declared independence. Unfortunately, the French had other ideas and tried to restore the colony, setting off a guerrilla war that would drag in the USA, China, and the Soviet Union. Uncle Ho, as he is affectionately referred, is revered by most Vietnamese.

After watching a changing of the guard, we visit Ho’s living quarters.  He lived very humbly refusing the French Governor-General Presidential Palace.  

We then move on to the Temple of Literature, which was the first Vietnamese University, established nearly 1000 years ago. It is famous for its numerous stelae carved with the names of the outstanding graduates, the Dean’s List of their time.

We then had a delicious meal at KOTO, (Know One Teach One), a culinary school.  After just a few meals, we are beginning to think we have missed out not trying Vietnamese food before.

After lunch, it is more history with a visit to the infamous Hoa Lo Prison.  It was built by the French to house revolutionaries but was later used by the Vietnamese to house US POW’s including Arizona’s own John McCain. The US referred to it as the “Hanoi Hilton”.  Much of it was torn down but a small section remains as a museum.  It must have been a hell-hole when the French ran it. Besides tall walls with glass shard tops and small cells with shackles, it had two guillotines. Ho Chi Minh only escaped execution because he lived in exile much of his life.

Leaving the group, Aimee and I walked into town to see the World Heritage Hanoi Citadel. Unfortunately it is closed today and we have to settle for a couple photos through a locked gate. The citadel is the 1000 year old residence of the Viet royalty. Little remains except for a flag tower on one end and an elaborate entrance gate on the other.