18 Sep – Hanoi and the end

Well, our 3 week trip to Singapore, Siem Reap and Vietnam is now very near to the end.  After a couple of really interesting days in Hue, we packed our bags for the last time on the road, and headed to the airport for our flight to Ha Noi. 

Hue is a real historic gem, with lots of temples, tombs and pagodas, which our motorbike tour only scratched the surface of - a great day's outing, nonetheless.  Once again, the city was completely changed from the one we remembered 20 years ago, and it was only the odd bridge, Minh Mang’s tomb and the Thien Mu Pagoda that we could remember.  The hotel this time was far more memorable, with a very nice light room, views over the city and a roof top restaurant and bar on the 12^th floor.

Arriving into Hanoi, at its very modern airport, we were whisked along the motorway into the city.  Our hotel is in the historic quarter, which is good because it is where we stayed 20 years ago – the quarter that is, not the hotel.  The centrepiece of the historic quarter is the Hoan Kiem lake with the Ngoc Son temple, which is set on an island.  As we had the afternoon free, we went for a walk around the lake (not a big task in itself).  On our previous trip, this was the start off point, and our first experience of children selling post cards and other tourist trinkets on the walkway around the lake.  On that trip, the children were very persistent, but this time, the only children we encountered today were there to practice their English on the tourists.  All the people selling things were, as we've experienced everywhere on this trip, only mildly interested in us, and not concerned if we weren't buying what they had to offer.

The bridge and Ngoc Son Temple

Gardeners dilligently replanting the grass beside the lake

The entrance to Ngoc Son Temple

The entire area around the lake is full on hustle and bustle, with heaps of traffic, and a never ending selection of shops stretching out into all the neighbouring areas around the lake.  Historically, this area had streets where all the vendors in the street sold one particular item – watches, shoes, clothes etc.  Our memories of the area were having to clamber over people just to walk down the street because most of the business was done out on the street and the people lived, ate and slept in the backs of their shops.  The streets are still named after what their speciality is, but now there is a much more diverse range of goods for sale on each street, and the vendors have all moved off the street, to be replaced by an even greater number of tourists.

Visiting the temple, we had spotted what appeared to be a bar set right on the lake’s edge, so we headed there for a late afternoon beer.  The bar created a nice sound barrier from all the traffic noise going on just 20 metres away, and it was a nice environment to sit by the waters edge, have a cool beer, and quietly contemplate the 3 weeks holiday we’d just had.

By now, we were well used to both the Vietnamese traffic and torrential down pours, however, Hanoi felt that we once again needed to be treated to a deluge, and to observe the traffic chaos in the middle of a rain storm, so when we left the bar at rush hour, the scenes of scooters by the thousand ploughing their way through streams of water was an entertaining site.

Our final day all together in Vietnam offered a 20k bike tour on the outskirts of the city, or a city tour.  We opted for the City Tour, and got to learn all about Ho Chi Minh, the temple of literature and the central prison.  Before the cyclists and non-cyclists headed their separate ways, we had a last team photo in our two different outfits - one for Ride Holidays - Our New Zealand trip organiser - and one for Wide Eyed Tours - our Vietnam Tour Operator.

Ride Holidays

Wide Eyed Tours - with Cuong and Diep

Our hotel - Tall and narrow, like all the buildings in Vietnam

The tour took us to Ho Chi Minh's Mausoleum, but he doesn't work Fridays and Mondays, so once again we didn't get to see him.  Apparently, Ho's wish was that he be cremated and his ashes be divided into 3, with one portion going to the south, one to the north, and one going to central Vietnam, so that all the people got an opportunity to pay their respects - remember this was a poor country, and people wouldn't be able to afford to travel to Hanoi.  He also wanted cremation, as it was more hygienic, and didn't use up farmland, however the government didn't comply with his wishes.

Vietnamese Independence - September 2, 1945

We then went for a wander around the grounds of the Presidential Palace, and saw the various austere houses that Uncle Ho lived in.  He never actually lived in the Palace, but met foreign dignitaries in the Palace.

The grounds of the Presidential Palace

Ho Chi Minh's Office in his house

Before lunch we visited the Temple of Literature, which was Vietnam's first university founded in 1070.

Anne in her very stylish poncho - they're all the rage in Vietnam

A pond at the temple of literature

A temporary pond - we did get some rain

Not to Chorus standard

For lunch we went to KOTO Restaurant. KOTO stands for Know One, Train One, and is a project to give street kids skills so they can get a job, and get themselves off the street.

After lunch we visited the Central Prison, which the French used to rather gruesomely lock up, torture and execute political dissidents during their reign.  The treatment was appalling, but sadly, probably in keeping with what was done at the time.

Due the Vietnam war, the prison was used to house American pilots who were captured.  The most famous of which was John McCain, the US Senator, who spent 5 1/2 years there.

Prisoners were kept shackled all day

We had our final dinner at a local restaurant where we gave gifts to our local guides - Cuong and Diep, because they'd given us such a great holiday - Cuong, as our cycling guide, as Diep as the chief guide on the Lady Bus.

I'm now finishing this in the Koru Lounge at Auckland Airport.  Anne and I have had an amazing trip, and really enjoyed our first group tour since we were last in Vietnam.  It was great being in a group of people we'd had a couple of chances to meet before we went on holiday, and having cycling and Wellington in common, gave us some common ground, rather than just being 20 people who wanted to go to Vietnam.

A cycling holiday is certainly a fun way to see a country, and with this group, it would be even more so.  We now have the first re-union dinner to look forward to, whenever and wherever that will be.

Ciao.