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Hanoi, city of lakes

Vietnam, Summer of '99: Hanoi

Ben van den Anker
2006-05-02 01:20:38

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the couple about the cheap bia hoi (beer) in Vietnam, they were instantly interested. We decided to make the evening a kind of beer contest; we wanted to find the place where the best Bia Hoi was to be sold. After some initial difficulties, almost all of the bars on the beach were closed at 8 in the evening, we found one bar. We drank our well-deserved beer and chatted the evening away. The Halong bay shouldn't be missed because of the excellent views and amazing rocks standing high in the sea, the town itself is not much of interest.

Back in Hanoi I went for a look at the embalmed corpse of Uncle Ho. Although he requested to be cremated, he can be seen in the Ho Chi Minh's Mausoleum. I had to deliver my bag and a few hundred meters later my camera with the officials; absolutely nothing can be taken into the mausoleum. All the guards wear snowy white uniforms, giving respect to the old helpless man with his white hair. It seems that tourist are a minority among the mainly Vietnamese visitors. He is seen by some as the liberator of the Vietnamese people from colonialism. The educational system reinforces this idea; I didn't found many people willing to discuss this matter.

The obligatory visit of the one pillar pagoda and the temple of literature took place the same day, both interesting but after so many temples I was slowly losing my interest for them. Still I wanted to visit the perfume pagoda, I booked a day trip and by boat we slowly glided through rice fields till we reached the path that lead up onto the hill. The countryside resembled Halong bay, standing rocks in the water and in the rice fields. The hot sun shining down on us. No sounds to be heard, no cars, this is another Vietnam than the Vietnam I have seen this far. Childs accompanied us to the top of the hill, waving cool air at our faces and offering drinks. I never knew I had that much water in me, I could see it with my own eyes, it was all coming out of my arms, head, ...