Never did I think that in my lifetime I would hear the
words, “Welcome to Hanoi.” When you think of the destruction rained down
on this country by American military forces, it seems somewhat of a miracle to
find ourselves touring Vietnam and being asked to buy something to contribute
to the local economy. I guess that’s the
least we can do. At the moment, I’m
sitting on my balcony watching us steam out of the port of Ha Long. The famous dragon-like rock formations that
have turned this bay into a UNESCO World Heritage site are slowly drifting
by. We’re on our way to Danang, another
name that rings through the infamous history of America’s penchant to interfere
in other countries.
Yesterday was a long and tortuous day. The seemingly manageable distance of 107
miles between Ha Long and Hanoi took over 4 hours each way to navigate over a
dusty road that is being improved but has a way to go. They assured us that next year it will only be
a 2 hour drive…hardly of interest. The
trip left us only 4 hours in the city to take in as many sites as possible; we
dragged home after 12 hours and were relieved to hear the brass band and be
served the hot chocolate with which Azamara welcomed our return. While I’m glad to have made the trip, I think
it is my last excursion by bus.
Our first stop was the Hanoi Hilton, the French-built prison
where American pilots (including Sen. John McCain) were imprisoned during the
Vietnam War. It’s been turned into a museum
honoring the martyrs who fought for Vietnamese independence against the Chinese
and the French. A nod is given to the
American occupants in the form of videos showing the destruction caused by
American bombs…embarrassing. After a
delicious Vietnamese lunch, we continued on to Independence Square where we
gazed at the mausoleum that houses the embalmed body of Ho Chi Minh. It seems that the Russians have to come every
year and spend 2 months working on the body to keep it “viewable.” We also saw the Presidential Palace complex
and the one pillar pagoda before heading off for an hour in the Old
Quarter. Dwight kept looking for a statue of Jane Fonda, but it was nowhere to be found.
General impressions:
Hanoi is an elegant city in the style of old French colonialism tinged
with Asian hustle and bustle. It was
swept very clean, a change from the homes and kiosks which lined the better
part of the highway. I wish we had had
more time there and take in the museums and sit in the coffee shops, but
perhaps another day. It was enough to
have survived the long bus trip and be able to say I visited the capital of
North Vietnam.
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