Hanoi Highlights: Now with Photos**

Kia Ora!

I was standing in line to view Ho Chi Minh's remains in the mausoleum, a national monument, when I heard this question: "Where are you from?"

Thao and mausoleum

A Vietnamese boy, about 11 years old, stood in front of me. He spoke in a clear, American accent with no hint of his native tongue. (As this journey is now complete, I can say that he was the only English speaker so clearly understood by these American ears.) We carried on a conversation for about 20 minutes while he went through what sounded like an English language phrase book. I asked him questions also and he answered without hesitation, demonstrating he comprehended as well as he spoke. With all other English speaking Vietnamese, all adults, I often asked them to repeat to be able to catch what they were saying. The endings of English words were often dropped. I admire anyone who is versatile in a language other than their native language regardless of pronunciation. I regret I have no second language. Interesting: both city guide Thao and our driver, Son, studied Russian before they mastered English.

Ho Chi Minh museum entrance

Our cheerful guide was Thao, the proud Papa (note his tee shirt) of a three-year old daughter. After the mausoleum came Ho's museum. The displays were mainly conceptual, demonstrating his focus on the poor and the plain as opposed to the rich and powerful in the country. Minh is rightly regarded as a visionary leader, as we might regard George Washington or Abraham Lincoln. Unlike other displays, this museum gave information, not propaganda.

Maison Centrale aka Hanoi Hilton

Not so was Maison Centrale, the formerly French prison that famously incarcerated Sen. John McCain and over 400 other American pilots. The message here was "we good, you bad". The guillotine on display gave credence to the harshness of French rule in contrast to the North Vietnamese self-righteously described fairness with which they treated their American prisoners. I wonder if McCain would agree.

KC taking it easy

Puppeteers join puppets for finale

The day-long tour of Hanoi so tired KC that Thao packed us into two pedicabs and we rode around the streets of Hanoi for an hour instead of viewing the cultural museum on foot as originally planned. There was no exertion to this activity nor to watching Hanoi's famous (though I'd never heard of it before) water puppet show.

More on Hanoi next post.

Cheers,
Kiwi Traveller in Vietnam
**This one got away from me whilst I was trying to get photos into the posting. Sorry.