Home ---- TRIP: Vietnam 2015

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Welcome to our adventure in Vietnam which began in Hanoi and ends a month later in Saigon. Toby had been here in 2003 and seen many of the places we will visit and was astounded at the changes that had taken place over the last 12 years. For Margaret it was all brand new and exotic. We hope the following pictures and movies help to share some of the moments we had in this must be on your BUCKET LIST country.
2 Our first glimpse of Vietnam are rice paddies as we land in Hanoi.
3 Arriving in Hanoi before our tour begins and the city is ours to explore.
4 One thing about Vietnam is that everything is fresh and available on the street.
5 The New Years TET festival will begin soon. These kumquat trees and peachblossom trees adorn most households in the same way we decorate our homes with Christmas trees. TET is a huge holiday here.
6 An assortment of tangerines, dragon fruit, and rambutans lead the way up a pathway of fresh fruit.
7 Our first meal on the streets of Hanoi. A pork pho, or, as we would call it, pork soup with trimmings.
8 Next day after breakfast we are ready to head out for day 2 in Hanoi. The hotel is spacious and centrally located, which is just perfect.
9 Today we are headed for the Hanoi Hilton where John McCain spent five and a half years after his capture. On the way we pass by many interesting shops and markets that we would not expect at home.
10 Again, the people of Vietnam are preparing for the upcoming TET festival. Red and gold are the color of the holiday for prosperity and wealth.
11 Small street cafes are everywhere and are a great place to get a fantastic cup of Vietnamese coffee.
12 All the decorations are out here in The Peoples Republic of Vietnam.
13 About a mile or more from the hotel we finally reach the notorious Hoa Loa Prison, aka the Hanoi Hilton. This is an airial view of the prison before much of it was demolished for highrise apartments. The square area from the lower left to upper middle right and back to the second yellow building is what remains.
14 One room depicts how prisoners were kept.
15 The prison was built by the French and most prisoners that were kept in the prison over its lifetime were Vietnamese dissidents.
16 In the back of the prison there are bas relief murals depicting the prisoners plight.
17 Reliefs and concrete sculptures.
18 The guillotine was left by the French.
19 John McCains actual flight suit and parachute.
20 Back on the street for a little lunch and we plan to keep walking to a large lake not too far away.