We had been warned that the trains the further north you go get progressively worse... A complete understatement... I was woken by cockroaches crawling over my face, and managed to get three of them before they scuttled behind the lamp..... So out came the sleeping sack... and wrapped like a mummy eventually fell back into a fitful sleep... That was so needed, because we arrived in Hanoi at 4.30 in the morning, and the hotel we were staying at didn't have a day room for us, nor could they let us check in... We did however drop off our luggage and went for a walk around Hanoi.. It was brilliant... Around turtle lake (so called because it has turtles) actually there is a story about a turtle bearing a sword for the emperor with which to defeat his enemies, and once this was achieved the giant turtle returned for the sword.. Legend has it that it will return again, when needed... But all around the lakeside, there were people exercising.. From doing pull ups / push ups on bicycle stands, to full on aerobics on the sidewalks... Tai chi and just walking around.. So joined in for a bit of tai chi at 4.30 lakeside in Hanoi... Went for coffee and then breakfast... We had decided as a group to split todays optional trip so Dudu went to Halong overland and I went to the Hanoi City tour... The city tour included the Ho Chi Min monument.. and all references to him are as "The Ho Chi Min".. Incredibly interesting.. He could speak 7 languages, was sufficiently fluent in 5 to have articles published in those languages... His birth name was nguyen, but he was imprisoned in Bankok, and sentenced to die by the British.. A chinese man in prison at the same time, exchanged identities with him and sacrificed himself in order for Ho Chi Min to live, and in honor of this The Ho Chi Min retained and used his name from that time forward.. We were shown his home that was built for him and when the dry season came, they were going to install air conditioning, however he refused to allow the diversion of the electricity and so they built him a summer house, on stilts with slatted sides to raise and lower as the breezes allowed.. I noticed an unusual hill formation, and the local guide said that there were bunkers built to protect the ho chi min, but we were not allowed to go into them, as the government buildings operated in the vacinity and they still use the underground tunnels to this day... Very interesting place....
Next we went to the Temple of literature. The first university of Vietnam was founded here in 1076. Honor rolls were developed and names carved into stone for posperity.. at least that was the intention but wandering around the tablets I saw what seemed to be graffitti on some of the carvings.. our guide said that successive emperors would have had removed the names of scholars for whom they were in combat with as only the emperor had the authority to add or remove names.. It was an incredibly dangerous time, with blood feuds running rife.. entire generations were killed for real or imagined slights to prevent any offspring taking revenge at a later time.. Females were not permitted to gain an education their role being to bear children and look after the home and family, and their top scholars were given a revered role in the emperors court.. Exams had to be passed in order to gain a position in the university and retaining your place within the school was not guaranteed, it had to be earned all the way through.
The museum of ethnology came next.. Despite there being 54 other minorities the museum was heavily influenced by the Viet culture. So in a way it was a little disquieting.. all references to the minorities seemed to me to patronising.. to illustrate, the hmong due to the nature of materials used the means with which they dye their cloths and then the tools they use to weave the cloth into a skirt, combined with the intricacy of their designs means it can take them up to two months to make one skirt... But the guide said, they take two months in such a derogatory tone, as if to say, it's because they're lazy... Also many of the minorities are nomadic due to the difficult land and growing conditions, so by necessity when they settle for how ever short a period a clearance of the jungle is required. This means they will burn and fell the trees to make homes, and plant crops.. however his explanation was that they are responsible for the absence of the jungles within Vietnam... As I said a little disquieting..
Lastly we asked to be taken to Hoa Lo or the Hanoi Hilton... Now that was truly bizarre.. One of the girls is from Miami, and she had read the autobiography of Senator McCain's internship at this prison, so she was adamant that we go.. Our guide said that it wasn't on the itinerary, but as we pointed out, it was our tour, so it was going to be...
All references to the treatment of prisoners there cease at 1945 when the French used it to imprison and torture the Vietnamese... All the displays and cells etc, refer only to the viet people and only a brief mention is made of the Americans housed there... I guess it's to be expected, given that history is always written by the victors... But there were many interesting takes on display.. For example, there was a photo album of americans formerly housed in the prison with records, of date of capture, rank, serial number and date of release... (about 30 in total), there were photos on the walls of american soldiers decorating xmas trees, playing table tennis, opening red cross parcels and recieving letters from loved ones... According to the autobiography, these were staged, and the americans were forced to pose for the shots... In addition, underneath some of the photos like Senator McCains, it shows him being rescued by the viet, and then returning to vietnam... Another identifies a former prisoner as the "first american ambassador" to vietnam... All of it implies that they were not mistreated at all or else why would they return?? And as our guide said it's called the Hanoi Hilton because of how well the americans were treated, compared to the treatment doled out to the viet by the French.. it was like staying in the hilton hotel chain.. Hmmmmmmm... Anyway since we'd been up since 4.30 that morning exercising lakeside it was time to go back to the hotel... Met with Dudu and she said that they had a rocking time.. Ill let her update you all on the highlights of her tour..
But one thing she did say that I thought I'd post was:
They do eat dog... The ideal weight for a dog is between 6 - 10 kgs, and cats 3 - 6 kgs...
So on that note will sign off...
Tutu and Dudu :o)
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