City Tour around Hanoi

City tour is not exciting as to places like Tam Coc nor Halong Bay, but it make up the other part of the trip giving tourist a glimpse of city life, Vietnamese struggle throughout the Communist stronghold period.

We went to the Ho Chi Minh mossoleum but it was closed due to APEC meeting, security stepped up that sort of thing. Then we took a short walk to the Ho Chi Minh presidential residence.

It is not hard to feel the love of the people towards Ho Chi Minh as he was potrayed to be a very thrifty person even during the period he became president.

We went to the Ho Chi Minh museum, one pillar pagoda which is around the vicinity as well. No pics here at weather very hot, not in the mood for picture really.

We then went to so called oldest university in Hanoi, but really is a ground for olden days (1700 years ago) scholar to come take their exams where they become officials by passing stage of exams. It is really similar to the education system originate from China, and both systems honors Confucius as the great teacher. There is even a temple for him. Should come visit, as the Confucius temple in Beijing was not half as well preseved as this one.

Then after lunch went visiting Museum of Ethnology. By this time, all the auntie auntie already complaining leg pain dy. And at first glance, everyone don't think highly of the minority ethnic exhibition is interesting. But going to the backyard of the exhibition building, models house of ethnic minority people at north region of vietnam is actually very nicely presented. The interiors of the buildings (furniture, settings) actually finely resembles the real life of these people in reality.

At one corner of the main building, they currently have this very interesting nice little exhibition. It features the life of Vietnamese during the "Bao Cap" period, where from Communist first rise to power, until 1980s when Vietnam open up its economy to outside world. It feels quite a relieve that the Vietnamese government subtly admit their short comings by letting this exhibition depicted the hardship during the "Bao Cap" period. Most of the interviewee in the exhibition talks about how their used to que up for rice, food, cloths, parts for bicycles, and their dreams (mostly involved materialistic thoughts, such as having a television, or simple electric fan).

We also gone to a whole seller market nearby the old city for a short shopping.

Bargaining is a must here. Even that bowl of noodle you plan to have, must go through vigorous price negotiation unless you plan to be ripped off.

Bargain politely though, as they are just trying to earn a living.

We bought things like the vietnamese coffee maker, that sieve thingy u placed on top of the coffee cup. Apart from that we bought local grown coffee, almond as well.