Exploring Some More

As Tanje continues to get to know us, she's getting to be quite a little character. She laughs a lot now, plays peek-a-boo (initiating it herself), claps, responds to her new name, and seems to say 'maman' on occasion. She imitates Savannah when she dances, and watches her with great interest. Cute!

 

We've explored more parts of Hanoi in the last couple of days. The temple of Literature, a small walled in compound a bit reminiscent of the Forbidden City in Beijing, was very peaceful and nice. It had some tailored gardens, a few ponds (murky water, but a few nice fushia water lillies in one of them), cement turtles (Savannah liked sitting on those), and a shrine. It was a 2km walk from the hotel, and too hairy to redo (traffic, few sidewalks) so we cabbed back.

Yesterday, we went to a war museum. Funny, they titled it the Vietnam war. I'd read somewhere that around here the war with the US is called the American War, so was surprised. The outdoor display was especially powerful. Starting with a tank and Mig fighter jet at the front of the building, one was soon confronted with a much more arresting site: a huge, shredded plane pointing straight down into the ground, surrounded by wreckage of many more. Every twisted prop, mangled turbine, shorn piece of metallic skin representing what the war was really about, the lives lost and the futility of it all. Even so, life insists on going on. Amidst the plane wreckage was a tiny kitten, lying underneath and oblivious to its surroundings.

We walked further, through the nicest street we've seen so far. Why? Wide sidewalks, with matching and even cobblestones! Sheltered by the tallest of trees. This street led to Ho Chi Minh's mauseleum. The mauseleum is an imposing sight, supposed to look like a lotus (can you see it? We can't!). Again, as for Mao in China, this very prominent monument in the capital city represents a hero who has been gone for many years (1969). Where are the modern-day heroes? Surely there have been inspiring people worthy of such adulation since then!

The One Pillar Pagoda was quaint and surrounded by well manicured gardens, as was Ho Chi Minh's palace (he didn't live in it though, preferring instead a 2 room pillared house behind it).

On to Ho Tay Lake, the city's largest. Again, surrounded by winding beautiful cobbled paths, but so stinky we decided to turn around and cab back to the hotel. One is squarely confronted here with what's going to happen to our environment if we don't take care of it now. We're spoiled in Canada, and it's easy to think pollution isn't something that'll bother us, but one look at the ruined lakes here is a resounding warning to smarten up.

Our paperwork should be in Singapore by now, and hopefully will be expedited so we can start planning to head home!

Hi Christy and Tessa and Cindy and Tania and Julie. Loved your comments. Poppa Dave, we're thinking of you!