January 8, 2017

January 8, 2017

We are only in Taiwan to transfer planes.  After a 2-hour layover, we are back in the air for another 2.5 hours headed to Hanoi, capital of Vietnam. We arrive to dreary foggy humid weather.  We meet our tour group outside customs and head by bus to our hotel in the center of the city.

After a quick power nap we decide to stretch our legs and walk through the French Quarter ending at the old Opera House.  Starting in 1862 the French conquered most of Southeast Asia turning it into a colony with a plantation economy to export tobacco, tea, indigo and coffee.  Hanoi was a one time capital of French Indochina.

Back at the hotel we met up with our tour group and drove to the Old Quarter.  There we hired electric golf carts to drive us around. This was the commercial area of Hanoi.  Every street is named for the commodity that was sold on it.  Tet (Lunar New Year) is fast approaching so colorful festival items are abundant.

We then went to watch a water puppet show. Water Puppets are uniquely Vietnamese. I was not expecting much but it turned out to be very cute. I guess when you live in a rice paddy society, your life revolves around water.  Appropriately there were rice planters, water buffalo plows, jumping carp, fisherman, ducks, and of course fire-breathing dragons.  It was performed in a shallow swimming pool.  Instead of strings from above, ten puppeteers animate the figures using sticks below the water. Aimee and I would have liked to gone backstage and see how it was done.

Afterwards we had our welcome dinner. We were served an elaborately prepared western meal. Apparently the Vietnamese adopted the French proclivity for food presentation.

After dinner we walked around Hoan Kiem, the lake that lies in the heart of Hanoi.  On an island is Turtle Tower. The area was full of very young people enjoying the nice weather.  It is just a little too humid though for us Arizonans.