Hanoi has a population of 6.5 million people and it's a very busy city. It seemed to us that, at almost every minute of the day, all 6.5 million people were either on the road riding their scooters or on the sidewalk buying or selling something.
Before you can do anything in Hanoi, you need to learn how to cross the street because scooters do not stop for pedestrians. Our friendly hotel staff told us how to do it - you cross anywhere at anytime and you walk at a normal pace (no run or stop!) and then the scooters will weave around you. The first time for us was scary but it was easy after that.
The action on Hanoi's roads was one of the most interesting attractions. We were amazed at the huge number of scooters. It was great to watch the scooters, bikes, cars and pedestrians weave safely through intersections, many of which don't have lights or anything we could see that indicated who had the right-of-way.
 |
| A crowd of scooters and cars at a stop light |
 |
| A parking lot for scooters |
 |
| Families of four get around just fine on a scooter |
 |
| They carry amazing amounts of stuff on their scooters |
 |
| You often walk on the street because the sidewalks are full of stuff |
Before you can do anything in Hanoi, you need to learn how to cross the street because scooters do not stop for pedestrians. Our friendly hotel staff told us how to do it - you cross anywhere at anytime and you walk at a normal pace (no run or stop!) and then the scooters will weave around you. The first time for us was scary but it was easy after that.
After we figured out how to cross the street, we began sightseeing. Our first stop was the Temple of Literature which is a temple dedicated to Confucius, the Chinese philosopher. The temple was also home for Vietnam's first university which was founded almost 1,000 years ago.
Next up were two more temples. The temples were crowded with people praying and making offerings as part of the Vietnamese Lunar New Year or Tet. Tet is the most important holiday for the Vietnamese people. It begins on the lunar new year (January 23 this year) and carries on for two weeks after. The end of the holiday is best time to pray and make offerings and that just happened to be when we visited the temples.
Ho Chi Minh is revered in Vietnam for leading the fight for Vietnam's independence and the unification of north and south Vietnam. We visited the mausoleum where his embalmed body is displayed. We also visited the museum dedicated to his life and his work.
During our travels, we stumbled across a collection of American planes and military equipment that the North Vietnamese Army captured in the late 1960s and early 1970s during the Vietnam War (or the Anti-American Imperialism War as it's known in Vietnam).
Here are a couple more photos from Hanoi.
 |
| Altars to Confucius and his disciples |
 |
| Stone turtles hold up slabs engraved with the names of the university's graduates |
 |
| One of the courtyards was decorated for Tet, the Vietnamese Lunar New Year |
Next up were two more temples. The temples were crowded with people praying and making offerings as part of the Vietnamese Lunar New Year or Tet. Tet is the most important holiday for the Vietnamese people. It begins on the lunar new year (January 23 this year) and carries on for two weeks after. The end of the holiday is best time to pray and make offerings and that just happened to be when we visited the temples.
 |
| Tran Quoc Pagoda - a Buddhist temple |
 |
| A tower of Buddha statues |
 |
| Big crowds at the temple |
 |
| Worshippers and offerings inside the temple |
 |
| Inside another temple - Ngoc Son Temple |
 |
| You get to the temple via a beautiful red bridge |
Ho Chi Minh is revered in Vietnam for leading the fight for Vietnam's independence and the unification of north and south Vietnam. We visited the mausoleum where his embalmed body is displayed. We also visited the museum dedicated to his life and his work.
 |
| The outside of the mausoleum; no photos allowed inside |
 |
| Blake with a statue of Ho Chi Minh in the museum |
 |
| A great quote from Ho Chi Minh |
During our travels, we stumbled across a collection of American planes and military equipment that the North Vietnamese Army captured in the late 1960s and early 1970s during the Vietnam War (or the Anti-American Imperialism War as it's known in Vietnam).
 |
| The collection |
 |
| Wreckages from American and French planes shot down over Vietnam |
Here are a couple more photos from Hanoi.
 |
| We're millionaires! (1 million Vietnamese Dong = $50) |
 |
| Vanessa carrying fruit just like a local |
After our very short visit to Hanoi, we put away our pants and jackets and pulled out our shorts as we headed to very hot and very humid Cambodia.
Vanessa and Blake
