days 65 and 66 - Good Bye Hanoi

Sunday, 29 December 2013

On Saturday morning, we set out to visit the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum. The body of Ho Chi Minh, often referred to as Uncle Ho by the Vietnamese people, is located there and he is a popular attraction for both local and foreign tourists. While Ho Chi Minh requested to be cremated, it was decided to preserve his body and put him on display for the people after his death. Every year, his body is sent to Russia for three months for care and maintenance. 

While the queue to get into the Mausoleum was very long, the heavy security presence ensured it moved quickly and in a very orderly fashion. The room in which Uncle Ho's body is kept is dark and a U shaped path winds around the glass case in which his body lies. His body is lit from above, making him look almost statuesque. 

We then set out to visit the West Lake which is... a lake in the west of Hanoi. We visited Tran Quoc pagoda along the way and wandered through an area of the city that we hadn't yet been to.  

(A Government building located next to the Mausoleum. All Government buildings appear to be painted yellow)

(The grounds of Tran Quoc Pagoda)

(The grounds of Tran Quoc Pagoda)

(We stopped at a colourful little café at the West Lake)

That evening, we went out for dinner, followed by a Ca Trù Concert. Ca Trù is a traditional type of singing that was first performed in Vietnam in the 11th century. It is used for entertainment, worshipping and ceremonial occasions. Unfortunately, it was not practised much during the 20th century due to war and a lack of awareness and UNESCO has deemed it to be in urgent need of safeguarding with only a couple of masters left in Vietnam. The performance was an hour long and was held in a traditional house in the Old Quarter for a small audience. The group performed eight songs and one dance. It was really unusual and very beautiful. The rhythm felt very different to what we're accustomed to but the performances were very moving. It was definitely a great way to spend our last night in Hanoi with Nicky's Dad, Jim. 

(The Ca Trù performers)

(Bo Bo Dancers)

This morning, we set out early to explore the area around Hoan Kiem Lake and to see what the locals do on a Sunday morning. There were lots of people out, mostly middle-aged and older, walking, stretching and doing lots of weird and wonderful movements. We saw people giving themselves vigorous face massages, people practising Tai Chi and men taking dancing lessons. It struck us that the only people jogging were the tourists, while the slender locals were more concerned with keeping themselves limber and flexible. We certainly haven't seen many, if any, overweight Vietnamese which we would attribute to their three savoury regular meals a day, lack of desserts and overly sweet food, and regular physical activity. 

(A group of elderly women, sitting together on the ground. We were unsure what they were there for but were simply impressed by their ability to sit so comfortably on the hard pavement)

(People stretching and flexing in the morning sunshine at the lake)

(Ngoc Son Pagoda and the Bridge of the Rising Sun at the lake)

(The gateway to Ngoc Son Pagoda)

(Looking out towards the Thap Rua, the stupa on the lake)

(The preserved giant tortoise that was found in the lake. It weighted 250kg when caught)

(Locals starting their Sunday morning with some dancing)

After a final stroll around the Old Quarter and a hearty lunch, we said goodbye to Jim as he set off on the long journey back to Dublin. We've had a wonderful couple of weeks here together in Hanoi and a very happy and memorable Christmas 2013!

The afternoon was spent in a café looking at maps and readying ourselves to get back on the road tomorrow. Our plan is to cycle south along the old Ho Chi Minh trail which is now a decent highway. Our next major destination is Hué but we have a good 700km to travel between now and then. It will be good to get back on the bikes and see more of Vietnam.

(A woman pushes a heavily loaded bicycle, with a cord attached from her wrist to the handlebars to steer)

(An unusually quiet intersection on a Sunday afternoon)

(A well stocked button store. One of many on the haberdashery street)