Gypsymichelle's travel blogs:
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Hanoi
Entry 6 of 7 | show all | print this entry |
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Hanoi had a lot more charm than Ho Chi Minh City. I stayed in the Old Quarter, the centerpiece of that area being Hoan Kiem Lake, a nice place to enjoy an afternoon beer.
Legend has it that a previous emperor was given a sword from heaven and used it to drive the Chinese out of Vietnam. He was later boating on this lake and a giant tortoise took the sword from him and returned it to heaven. You can see this reenacted in the water puppet shows in the city. I also visited Hoa Lo Prison Museum also know as "Hanoi Hilton." I didn't expect them to advertise that they tortured Americans there, but I wasn't prepared for the propaganda--American prisoners playing ping pong, worshiping, receiving medical attention, etc. I mentioned that after visiting the War Remnants Museum in HCMC I was not proud to be an American. However, they did some unspeakable things to us as well, and they glossed over the truth and sugar coated it as much as possible. I was not too pleased with the "Vietnamese" version of what went on there.
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