After a decent nights sleep we started on a city tour of Hanoi. Our first stop was the prison known as the Hanoi Hilton, where both political prisoners and downed American airmen were kept. They made the most of John McCain’s recent visit back to his old captors with a huge display that somewhat overshadowed the other displays of suffering.
On to the Mausoleum of Ho Chi Minh, a sombre and somewhat creepy affair with dozens of guards enforcing the correct behaviour and absolute silence around the waxy looking body of Uncle Ho. We were marched round the tomb and headed over to the University library. The highlight here was the filming of a movie as the Vietnamese looked on in wonder as the very attractive and very famous star we’d never heard of.
We’ve not seen much of the famed edible insects and I was too late for the breakfast of frogs and rats on a stick, so decided to go large and had swan soup and chips for lunch. It was generally agreed that swan was the least pleasant meat we’d tried for ages, with a particularly metallic aftertaste.
After a long shopping session during which we bought nothing it was all feeling a bit hectic so we ducked into a tiny coffee shop for a rest. This turned out to be a rather black cave full of beret wearing locals smoking questionable cigarettes, but it had free wi-fi so we stayed a while.
The girls were keen to try out the Sky bar that I’d visited yesterday, so we left them to it and sat on the balcony opposite, which turned out to be a KFC. One Zinger burger and mash with gravy later we met up again and searched for snacks for the coming train ride.
Whilst the girls headed straight for the supermarket my natural decent food sensor led me straight to an unmarked deli run by an ex-pat Aussie. Whilst the others had crackers and more Laughing Cow I revelled in a cheddar and Branston pickle sandwich on freshly made bread, with a side salad and still warm cookie.
The girls walked back to the hotel whilst I took a Cyclo through the crazy Hanoi traffic. Nicky sat on one knee and the cheese sandwiches rested on the other whilst I silently debated which I’d protect first in a crash.
The 13 hour sleeper train journey to Hue was unremarkable apart from the poor air conditioning. The top bunk was absolutely freezing in the blast of the air, whilst my bottom bunk was somehow airless and stifling. Didn’t get any sleep and only got out of bed to throw a couple of drunken Aussies out of the carriage.
