What a day! Started being taken to see Ho Chi Minh's body,laying in state mausoleum...he is reverered by the people n the experience was very surreal..then onto his palace and house during the war n gardens. Onto temple of Confusiciois from 11th century. The French tried to destroy a lot of the original history as they left in 1954 but much remains from centuries of Chinese occupation and the beautiful French buildings from 1870 onwards. Walked through old quarte...

After a day of corpses n a water puppet show(thrilling stuff!!) we were ready to eat n spent evening in Old Quarter. Ate at the famous Green Tangerine French restaurant,which is set in a French 1928 colonial house. Ate lobster under orange trees. Walked around old quarter n met lots of very friendly locals. Street eating is a way of life here, and actually very clean n healthy but not recommended if not local as bellies not used to it...you can see a few of the p...

Landed at 4pm in Hanoi. Landscape very green,lots of fields n some huge rivers which stem from China. Met by our guide Khan n taken to hotel in centre. Never seen sooo many motor bikes in 1 place...they ride 3 to a bike, any direction and never stop! Crazy. Learnt first Vietnamese 'Cam on' which means 'no thanks' and have been saying it a lot this evening despite the very generous offers! Hanoi facts: 5 million people, 2.5 million bikes, capital sine 1975 n home...