Hanoi 2

Hanoi 2

Friday, April 29
We said goodbye to Hoa and her husband Thu. 2 lovely days in the White Thai village of Ban Lac. It rained a little at parting. On the way back to Hanoi, we stopped at the hydroelectric power plant in Hoa Binh. It is the water from the "Black River" by exploiting here. On the outskirts of Hanoi live Khoa and his wife with their two girls. Minh Chau had break from school. The smallest Bich was in kindergarten. We went to the restaurant to eat "Hot Pot" a very popular dish in Vietnam. Khoa was home and the driver drove us to our hotel Camelia4. Kl. 15 we took a taxi to Oanh Lee's shop. They sell food including organic vegetables. She has 8 staff. Tomorrow she will stand by a booth for the store at a trade show. We will see if we can get there by a few museum visits. The evening meal was at the Orchid a good restaurant close to the hotel. Oanh Lee was also invited. Friday, Saturday and Sunday there is live music in the streets near the hotel. One group is Chinese inspired - almost a kind of theater with people in very expensive suits, and right in front of our hotel there is a group that plays rock music to young people.

Hot pot for all

Companies The chain which Oanh Lee's store is part of the name BacTom. It appears very modern.

Saturday, April 30
Independence Day, which started 41 years ago, has this year been for 4 holidays. We took a taxi to Armymuseet. We saw an exciting video about the battle of Dien Bihn Pu 62 years ago. That was the end of the French period. When they had been in the country in 162 years! Ho Chi Minh hoped that they would now win freedom, but the file the first in earnest in 1975. After Armymuseet we went to the Art Museum - a very interesting museum. We got lunch at KoTo and took from there a taxi out to visit Oanh Lee's booth at a trade show. Her stand was well visited and we enjoyed ourselves there for awhile. Then home in the shower so we could get ready for tonight's party at "Little Hanoi". We were not so many, because April 30 is a day when Vietnamese families usually are together. The dinner was fine.

It was independence day, so there were many locals at the museum. Here is a former soldier. Maybe he made wars with? We were allowed to photograph, but he could not speak English.

Great art at the art museum

Sunday, May 1
Bicycle touring West Lake around. Elisabeth and Henning D sat on the back of motorcycles. Jesper (from Vietnam Travel) and I cycled. The Vietnamese name for the lake is Two Tay. The weather was pleasant - only 26 degrees! On the way round we visited a pagoda. Due. days off were incredibly many people at the pagoda. Many of their stiffest pus so it was very festive. Later we held a coffee break. On the way back we passed Prince Henrik's childhood home. The trip took 3 hours. After a quick lunch at the "Little Hanoi" we should find the place where Oanh Lee had ordered extended foot massage for us all. It is situated on Ly Quoc Su no. 18 and called Van Xuhn. It was skillful masseurs, so we went refreshed away. Oanh Lee was going back to work. We others paused until we went to the dining pm. 19 Orchid.

Sale At row

Many were in fine clothes. Here are the top by arranging the gifts to be "sacrificed".

Two brave men on the way back to your hotel

Many families were on the trip, so we saw lots of motorcycles with father and mother and two children on one bike!