Hanoi is one of the most bustling cities I have ever visited. A highlight at the end today was sitting in the Highlands Cafe, in the center of the city, watching the action unfold. The motorbike scene is like nothing we have ever seen - no rules of the road, drivers drive in any direction and turn whenever they want. 2 or 3 people could be on a bike at once. They go through red lights, don't stop for pedestrians but slow down as you cross the street, you feel like you are just waiting to be hit. The way to cross is to walk slow and the motorbikes drive around you!
Vietnam is heavily influenced by the countries that have occupied it over its history. The Chinese ruled the country from 179 BC - 938 AD and the French from 1896-1954. The Chinese and French influences are very apparent in the architecture around the city. The Russian influence appeared when we visited Ho-Chi Minh mausoleum, modeled after Lenin's tomb.
The Temple of Literature and National University was the first stop of the morning. The temple was built in 1070 to worship Confucius, the great Chinese philosopher. The three buildings and courtyards are examples of Chinese architecture. On site are stone diplomas bearing the names of students who passed the examinations to become doctor laureates. We next visited Hoan Kiem Lake which is in the center of Hanoi and divides the French Quarter and the Old Quarter. A great myth surrounding the lake is the Legend of the Lake of the Recovered Sword. As legend goes a magical sword was given to the emperor in the mid -15th century to defeat the Chinese invaders. While the emperor was boating on the lake a giant tortoise snatched the sword away from him returning it to its rightful place and bringing peace to the land. The tortoise has symbolic significance in Vietnam and is seen over and over again in sculpture and art. We crossed the Bridge of the Rising Sun, a bright red bridge that takes you from the area around the lake to the Pagoda, a working temple. The whole area has a very Chinese feel from the bridge to the Temple.
After lunch we embarked on our journey to see and learn about the life of their revered leader Ho -Chi Minh. Ho-Chi Minh was a communist leader and statesman whose dream was to unite North and South Vietnam. Born in 1890 and living until 1969, Ho Chi Minh is a hero in Vietnam. He was influenced by the Russians and his Mausoleum reflects that relationship as it is built in Russian style architecture. The building is cold and dark in nature. He is one of only two individuals in the World to be embalmed, the other being Lenin. The Vietnamese government pays large sums to keep him embalmed and annually his body is sent to Russia for 2 months for "body maintenance". Despite his status while alive, Ho Chi Minh lived a simple existence with little to no luxuries. The two homes where he resided during his tenure as Prime Minister and President, are preserved. The first very simple in nature and shows the life of a solitary man. The second is in keeping with the hill tribe housing which he lived in the Northern hills in hiding during turbulent times. The museum built in his honor is like no other museum I have ever been to. The layout itself is an artistic masterpiece displaying facts about his life in an unusual manner. An example would be the display of gifts given to Ho Chi Minh during his rule. The large circular area is laid out like a giant lotus leaf and each petal houses a different gift. It is quite spectacular.
The street shops around the city are unbelievable due to the sheer volume of goods and the people surrounding the area. Hang Dau Street is a street lined with stores selling shoes, more shoes that you have ever seen in one place. The same goes for handbags - Prada and Gucci knockoffs, backpacks (North face supposedly) and accessories. Hang Gai Street is lined with a mix of silk stores, clothing and art galleries.
After dinner we boarded the night train for Sapa, a village about 7 hours Northwest of Hanoi. The Victoria Train has small but beautiful wood paneled sleeper cars for 4. The girls took the top bunks, Jim and I the bottom beds and we set off on a great but very bumpy adventure North.
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