Hanoi

Yes, the journey was long, but worth the time spent on the bus.  It is beautiful agrarian countryside. LOTS of rice paddies.

It’s hard to describe the feelings that swelled to the surface in Hanoi. We expected a city that was poorer and less vibrant than Saigon. Not so. Of course, this is a government city, and with it comes the prosperity that government work in Viet Nam brings.

Was the Hanoi Hilton a big propaganda tool? Yes it was.  The story is a bit different than the one told by returning POWs. Were we blown away by Ho Chi Minh’s tomb and the whole complex surrounding it? Absolutely. The food has been good all through Viet Nam. But we enjoyed the best Vietnamese meal that we have had in the six days here in Hanoi. Plus, it was invigorating to walk a small section of the old quarter were each street is dedicated to a trade. We walked “shoe street” and the “food street.”

Hanoi Hilton

John McCain's Uniform

Ho Chi Minh's Tomb

Streets of Hanoi