Happy Birthday to Helens brother Andrew.
Up early....hot and sticky night. At 8.00am our guide for the day arrived at the Hostel. Her name was Ha and our first taxi driver was Mr. Hu. Collected another tourist from another hotel. His name was Roland and he was German. He had just spent 3 weeks with a German film crew travelling around Vietnam to make a documentary about backpacking - if only they had met us earlier!! and was now taking a few weeks to travel further on his own. We took taxis and walked around Hanoi until our feet ached.Visited temples and pagodas but highlight was Ho Chi Minh's Mausoleum. You could actually see his face and arms and he seemed to have died yesterday, rather than about 30 years ago. I was told off by the guards for talking while we filed past and also for having my hands behind my back and not down at my sides. Hels did everything right and almost earnt a Blue Peter Badge. Our guide Ha was a very nice girl and told us lots about her own life and family during the day. For instance - did you know in Vietnam people are buried twice. Firstly about 3 days after they die in a shallow grave with a heap of earth on top and then they are exhumated after 3 months and the skeleton is moved the proper finally resting place. She left us after lunch at a local market having explained where our Hostel was. Not really interested in the market so said goodbye to Roland and returned to Old Street Hostel. Lowestoft and Yarmouth Drifters lunch today so sent Dick Smith a short note to read out. Rather rushed as our guide arrived shortly after I had started the message...never had time to compose a Grace. Off to Hoi An tomorrow at 7pm on the overnight train
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Hanoi Hotels
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