Well, there are times when “on the road” has meant long days and nights driving a favourite vehicle somewhere in North America. This is not one [1] of them. Today I was pushed by pedal-rickshaw around the inner city of Hanoi. It was almost a visceral experience: the smells and sounds of the small businesses combined with the sounds and excruciating presence of gazillions of motor scooters interweaving among the occasional cyclist and somewhat more prevalent automobile (usually a taxi) was something to behold. ST and I each had our own driver (or whatever one calls the people tasked with pedaling through such traffic pushing north american humans who are noticeably bigger than the norm of Vietnamese adults) but we followed the same route, usually within fifty [50] metres of each other. It was an amazing conclusion to a fascinating and very educational day. While crossing the street is a moment in itself, navigating traffic in this city is more akin to trying to referee a hockey game consisting of fifty [50] players on each team, and all on the ice at once!! Most taxis are no bigger than Toyota Yaris’ or Hyundai Rio’s but there were an amazing number of big Lexus SUV’s, Mercedes’ and Five [5] Series Bimmers. How they remain unscathed is the miracle of Hanoi Streets…

While the experience of the ride through the streets in a rickshaw was very unique, the vast majority of the time was spent walking in, around or through some amazing sites. Starting at the tomb of Hon Chi Minh one quickly comes to understand the reverence the people hold for this person. Visiting the gardens around the Presidential Palace, the houses where he actually lived (he eschewed the grandeur of the palace) and the pastoral setting that includes many trees his followers brought from the south (where he had been born) so he could walk each morning to meditate and do exercises is very impressive. He even was given a couple of autos by the Russians (knock off Russian versions of a forties [40’s] Packard and an early fifties [50’s] Chevy along with an authentic Peugeot from the French (all with varying degrees of security plating and bullet proof glass).

Also visited one [1] of the earliest temples (of Taoism) which included in its compound the first [1st] university in Vietnam — started in the year 1069 (I think that’s the date — it’s in the eleventh [11th] century in any case). This entire complex is a fascinating experience, added to today by the presence of a couple of university graduating classes that had come to have their pictures taken and participate in graduation ceremonies in the special square (that has been used for such an event, although not likely in quite the same style, for a thousand years). ST was able to get pix of them throwing their caps in the air as well as the very elegant dresses worn by the women.

We drove through parts of the French Quarter where there still are many large and very beautiful buildings. Often these are now offices or embassies, but some are hotels and dining establishments. We were in one such place for lunch — although I hesitate to call it a lunch as there were nine [9] courses, all of which were excellent. The service here is exceptional and the presentation (even at the buffet breakfast) definitely shows the lingering presence of the French period of rule/domination!!

In the afternoon we also visited the Hanoi Hilton which is an experience in itself. Although about two-thirds [2/3rds] has been demolished so they could build the Hanoi Tower, the part that remains is a testament to the horrific approach to prison administration instituted by the French and continued in WW II by the Japanese. There is also a section devoted to the US/Vietnam war and the US pilots that were incarcerated there — saw John McCain’s uniform that he was wearing when captured as well as the picture of the pilot who was captured and then later returned as the US Ambassador to Vietnam. All in all it was a very moving moment. Another site was related more to ancient legends of earlier Kings — temple on the lake — but it too was very interesting, given how long the temple has been there. (This is also true of the one [1] pillar Pagoda we visited — while it had to be re-built after the French tried to destroy it, basically it has been on the site for almost a thousand years — they are still working on some of the reconstruction related to the religious buildings in the same compound — when they get done, this will definitely be a special site on anyone’s tour list.)

Soooooooo, all in all it has been an incredible day — I learned much about the history of the country that I didn’t know and was confirmed in other aspects that I had been informed about, going back as far as Grade Three [3] in Bassano when Miss Genge has devoted part of her social studies class to French Indo-China and then as well during my time in grad school in the USA…

Not sure when I’ll get back to this as computer access is irregular and time will often be devoted more to seeing and experiencing, than writing…but check in as you wish and follow along as you will…

g.w.