Tuesday, May 13, 2008

Day 4 - Hanoi


Today we enjoyed breakfast at our hotel. Some dined on typical western faire while others became more adventurous. The Army Hotel is still connected with the Vietnam Army. Part of it has been converted for private guests. Many different military people from other countries were dinning there as well. We then traveled off to see the sights. We experienced the Tan Quoc pagoda and the Quan Thanh Temple (Buddhist). Then the temple of Literature which is of Confusion learning. We hoped to see Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum but alas, today they closed early. We have enclosed a picture for you of us gathered outside. We were able to visit the grounds of the French Governor’s Quarters where Minh refused to stay, having built instead a modest three room house on the grounds. After lunch we visited The Ethnology Museum and grounds, experiencing the many different ethnic cultures. Then another temple. We finished a long day by enjoying the famous water puppet theater complete with traditional music. Their skills made these puppets on bamboo poles dance effortlessly on water. After dinner together discussing such things as language skills gone bad this day, some still had the energy and curiosity to walk on to find the “Goat” Restaurant whiles others went back to the hotel to pack for Ha Long Bay. I can’t wait to hear the new stories of adventures experiencing night life in Hanoi. Catherine

1 comment:

Barbara said...

Glad you are having a good time. The vegetation is vibrant.Can't wait to here about the various types of food.Be safe.
Barbara