Hanoi Craziness!

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  Hanoi, Vietnam
Tuesday, November 13, 2007

Hi All -

Have been relearning how to cross a road - its very different in Hanoi! Just be brave, and walk into traffic.....they might go around you. :o)

Have been to see Ho Chi Minh's Mausoleum, but he is away in Russia being touched up, so you cannot go into the building. They have taken the opportunity to do some work on the building as well, so sadly there was lots of scaffolding in our pics. Did take a walk through a nice park to view his official residences when in Hanoi. Went to the Temple of Literature, would have indeed been very peaceful and enlightening - except for all the blooming tourists! (Present company excluded of course!!)

In general we have been walking about the Old Quarter in Hanoi a lot.....its like nothing we've ever seen before, or probably ever will again! Have eaten LOTS, as always....the best places to eat in Hanoi are the little local's sidewalk restaurants. You sit on kiddie's plastic lawn furniture, and they bring you what looks like a little camper stove, and a cast iron griddle plate - and the rest is up to you! Huge portions of fresh beef, chicken, pork, seafood, offal, and random mystery meats are served up along with heaps of vegetables and you grill it yourself. All for less than a couple of pounds. They also appear to have haggis here.....or at least that's what I like to think of it as. Its some random peppery dark meat mixture....tasty though.

Went to the Water Puppets as well. Wooden marionette puppets that were set in a stage in a pool. Very traditional music and themes, very hard to describe. But the people who were controlling the puppets (not from strings on the top as a traditional marionette, but they somehow controlled them from underneath??) were very very good. Although a bit touristy, and the silly people trying to take flash pictures during the show will drive you crazy, it was definitely worthwhile.

Looking forward to heading off to Halong Bay soon.

All our love,
Karyn & Malx

Post your own travel photos for friends and family Pictures

Bamboo Scaffolding	Doctor's Stelae - Temple of Literature	Flower seller	Guard Dog - check out his wares!!!
Hanoi Hilton - Hoa Lo Prison	Ho Chi Minh's Mausoleum - Under Construction	Loading up a bike	Overloaded Bike?
Quiet Street in Hanoi....really!	Statue at Temple of Literature	Street scene	Street scene - Old Quarter
Thap Rua (Tortoise Tower) Hoan Kiem Lake	View of Doctor's Stelae - Temple of Literature	Where does the driver sit??	Yummy - dinner options!

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