RAY AND SHARON'S GRAND TOUR
21st Feb 2012 - 26th Feb 2012 SORRY HANOI !! WE LEFT DA NANG ON THE EARLY FLIGHT TO HANOI AND WE ARRIVED THERE AT 7 A.M. SO WE STOWED OUR LUGGAGE FOR THE DAY AND CAUGHT A TAXI INTO HANOI CITY - GOSH WHAT A DIFFERENCE FROM DA NANG . IT WAS VERY VERY BUSY BUT THE ATMOSPHERE WAS LIVELY AND THERE WAS A GENERAL FEELING OF EXCITEMENT ABOUT THE PLACE . WE BOTH REALLY LIKED IT , TO THE UNINITIATED IT WOULD BE CHAOS BUT WE ARE BOTH USED TO TAKING OUR LIVES IN OUR HANDS WHEN WE CROSS THE ROAD AND THE NOISE OF THE CARS AND BIKES REALLY WASH OVER US WE ARE EVEN USED TO THE PEOPLE TRYING HARD TO SELL US SUITS EVERY STEP OF THE WAY SO YES WE MUST BE SEASONED TRAVELLERS BY NOW !! FIRST OF ALL WE WENT STRAIGHT TO SEE HO CHI MINS TOMB - THE WHOLE VISIT IS ORGANISED WITH A REAL MILITARY PRECISION - NO BAGS OR CAMERAS CAN BE TAKEN INTO THE SITE AND SOLDIERS LINE THE ROUTE TO DISCOURAGE THE VISITORS FROM TALKING LOUDLY , PUTTING THEIR HANDS IN THE POCKETS , WEARING HATS ETC ETC AND AS THE SOLDIERS ARE ALL VERY HEAVILY ARMED WE DID AS WE WERE TOLD. THE VISIT WAS AN INTERESTING ONE IF ONLY TO SEE THE HOARDS OF PEOPLE HO CHI MIN STILL ATTRACTS SO MANY YEARS ON FROM HIS DEATH . AFTER VISITING THE GROUNDS OF HIS RESIDENCES WE HEADED OF TO DO A WHISTLE STOP TOUR OF THE CITY. THE CITY HAS AN ALMOST EUROPEAN FEEL ABOUT THE ARCHITECTURE AND THE GENERAL LAYOUT WHICH INCLUDES GARDENS AND LAKES THERE IS EVEN A BRIDGE DESIGNED BY GUSTAV EIFFEL BUT THEN SOME OTHER INFO SAID IT WAS BY HIS COMPANY SO I WAS A BIT CONFUSED - ITS JUST ONE MORE THING I HAVE PUT ON MY LIST OF THINGS TO RESEARCH WHEN WE GET HOME . LUNCH WAS IN AN AUSTRALIAN RESTRAUNT --WHY ? BECAUSE RAY REALLY FELT LIKE A SHEPHERDS PIE AND I CRAVED A SPAGHETTI BOLOGNESE !! FEELING MUCH BETTER AFTER SOME PROPER FOOD ( !! ) WE HEADED BACK TO THE AIRPORT TO CATCH THE TEATIME FLIGHT TO BANGKOK .
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