Tuesday, September 20
We arrived by train from Lao Cai early morning hours. 5:30 and got a taxi to our hotel Camellia4 in Hanoi. There was only one room available so early and it was Lis and John. We took all our luggage from SaPa up to their room. After some waiting we could get breakfast at. 30.6. Kl. 8 opened Vietnam Travels office. I had a call from Sapa to Jesper, who had 4 bikes for us. The first visit was Armymuseet. John Lis, Peter and I cycled while Dorte took a taxi; yes it was a motorcycle. Our motorcycle racer could do it for 30.000VD. So he might as well run Dorte. He waited nicely by Dorte at the museum until we had arrived on our bikes. At the museum we started to see the battle of Dien Bien Phu, which was the end of the French period. They had been here for 100 years. It was a great performance, good picturesque made. It was a painful defeat for the French. They had not imagined that the base of Dien Bien Phu be consumed. But they forgot to General Giap was a great military strategist. The French had more than 30,000 soldiers and airfield here. It was a great flat valley, more than 20 km out to the mountains. General Giap signs cannons along and drove them on bike and sled to the top of the mountain, through rugged terrain. When the guns were collected, pounding to the airfield so no planes could land with supplies. There must be something to defeat 30,000 men. Now the French have to throw supplies down from the air with a parachute. When the French surrendered, the half-portion dead, about 16,000 men. The French withdrew from Vietnam, and there was a peace conference where they agreed peace terms. Japan, France, Vietnam and a country more, not the United States. After two years could there be free elections, so one could determine the governance of Vietnam should have. The United States had not been involved, so they did not accept the agreement. It was a long war, but 30 / 4-1975 was the war against the United States ended. Elsewhere on Armymuseet so we battle for Saigon, not as well made as the first, because you had forgotten to put on the light on the terrain table. We now had half an hour to see the rest of Armymuseet. Now it was Art Museum. Dorte motorcycle, we have extended cycled. Here we put the 1 1/2 hour of - an incredibly beautiful museum. We pulled our bikes to the restaurant Ko To, 324 meters. Here we got a nice lunch, superbly prepared and served to former street children, as they have given an education. At the restaurant there was a photo of Queen Margrethe and Prince Henrik, who had visited the same restaurant a few years ago. Again taxi to Dorte; we have extended cycled a little detour past the opera house, built by the French. We met again at. 15 went for a hike from the hotel to Hoa Kim lake and walked around the lake. It is important that you find your way from the lake to the hotel. We met at 19 for a small drink at the "Backpackers Corner". We had been a participant more: Hoang, who would eat with us at the restaurant Little Hanoi. There was music outside the hotel, everyone was tired; only Dorte and Peter made a little evening walk.
From Armymuseet. Battle of Dien Bien Phu in the picture
Opera
From art museum
Henning gave an aperitif at this exquisite bar at Backpackers Corner before dinner ..........
....... overlooking a cluster free-hanging power lines.
Lis and Dorte on restaurant Little Hanoi
Wednesday, September 21
We started at 9:00 to cycle round the West Lake "Two Tay" as it is known in Vietnamese. There were two from Vietnam Travel along for the ride, Jesper and Ivares. A trip of almost 20 kilometers. First stop a pagoda, where in relation to the number of restaurants can benefit many people. The Vietnamese come with offerings to Buddha. The offerings are arranged and decorated the sacrificial hills; it can be cake, beer, schnapps, fruit, art, flags, incense sticks and symbolic money that can be purchased at the stalls outside. When you have set the tray on the altar ask you some beans, and goes out of Pagoda and waiting half an hour. If you have plenty of time to eat and drink to the food on the tray, otherwise take it home. The symbolic money, flowers and flags are burned in a large oven and should not be used again. We drove past the big water park. It was good weather to drive around with sweeping views of the lake. Along the way we met some Vietnamese, who practiced their fighting cocks. When we were halfway around we got a refreshment. At the end of West Lake, before we come out on the high road, is the property that Prince Henrik's family owned. Here grew Prince Henry up. Lis, John, Peter and I dropped the bikes. Dorte said thanks to his motorcycle driver who had been all morning. We all went to "Little Hanoi" to get lunch. We each had our chores in the afternoon. I had to buy flashlights and clogs, it succeeded. Now packed to Mai Chau.
Bicycle touring around the West Lake
sacrifices in a pagoda at West Lake in Ha Noi
Pagoda at West Lake in Ha Noi
Henning on the iron horse
Training of fighting cocks at West Lake
John and Jesper from Vietnam Travel exchanging wise words over a Hanoi beer.