Vietnam

We had a great time in Vietnam. We left last Tuesday, April 24th and flew from Beijing to Hanoi. The flight is less than 4 hours. While at the airport, we befriended two young Vietnamese girls who took a liking to the boys. It was great b/c they entertained Huck for the two hours we waited in the departure lounge. You can see pictures in the link.

We arrived late in the evening and went straight to our hotel in the old quarter. Our hotel was in Hanoi tower which was built on the site of the old prison, known to Americans as "Hanoi Hilton." --- More on that later.

On our first day we visited the mausoleum of Ho Chi Min. As in a visit to see Mao, one must stand in a long line and then walk quickly around the body and then back out the door. However, the experience was more friendly in Vietnam. The soldier guards smiled at the boys, one gave Huck a hug, and another showed us a special ramp and ledge for the boys to walk on for a better view. We found the Vietnamese people to be very friendly. They were smitten with the boys. Everywhere we went, the boys were stared at, pointed at, hugged and patted and pinched. At first, the boys smiled, posed for pictures and went happily on their way. However, after a few days, they grew tired of the attention. Jack and Jed just ignored it but Huck gave a screech whenever someone touched him. On the day we left to come home, a crowd gathered around the boys when we arrived at the airport. Jack felt ill after the car ride, so we sat him down on a chair outside. The crowd followed and stood watching from about 2 feet away. I gave him a barf bag and even that did not deter the crowd. One woman kindly offered her bottle of water, which I declined.

We had lunch at a lovely local place where we had an entire upper level to ourselves, with at least 5 servers attending to our every need. They were so friendly and overly helpful. They even cleaned the rice off of Huck between servings!

Later, we visted Hanoi Hilton, the prison where John McCain and many other American Heros were kept for many years. Though much of it was torn down to make room for offices, shopping and a hotel, the remaining area was very well preserved and the museum was well done. You can see pictures.

The city of Hanoi looks more European than we expected. This is due to the French colonization in its past.

We ended our day with a dinner in the room and rested for the next day. I'll post more later.