Going to Kyoto

NOTE:  Two new photo albums 

Woke up to sunny skies - good start. Took another leisurely bath and shower and got ready for breakfast. We chose the traditional Japanese breakfast which was served in a lovely room overlooking the river. We have absolutely no idea what we ate but it all looked and tasted incredible. Still had some time to kill before our 10 o'clock check out, so I called my brother and chatted with him and my nephew till it was time to say good-bye to our ryokan.

We left our luggage at the inn and explored Arashiyama. First we hiked across the bridge and up and up to the Monkey Park. Here there are about 170 macaque monkeys. The northernmost monkeys in the world. They roam free. We got there just at feeding time, so it was pretty exciting to see them all come running for grub. They are fine around humans. You just cannot stare at them. The views from up there were pretty impressive as well.

Walked back down and strolled into town. Went into the Tenryuji Temple and the Japanese gardens. Quite different from the pagodas we had seen in Vietnam. This is one of the most famous temples in the area and is now a World Heritage site. 

Town started filling up with tourists. We couldn't decide what to have for lunch so we settled on green tea ice cream - yummy. Went back for our luggage and since it was such a nice day, we walked down to the train station. At the station, we spotted a vegan/organic restaurant that looked really good. One problem, it was up two flights of stairs and elevator. Geoff was determined, so he carried both suitcases up there! Well worth it. The food was great and I could name everything on the plate.  Plus, it turns out that the woman had visited Cape Cod and cooked for a yoga retreat. Karma.

Boarded the train for Kyoto and was there in about 20 minutes. Checked our luggage into a locker. For the next 4 nights we are staying with an ATC member (our b&b club). He will not be home until 6, so we had to keep busy until then. With our luggage out of the way, we were free to start exploring yet another city. Tourist information had maps and a few suggestions of where to go in the immediate area. Mostly more temples.

Our first temple was really fascinating - Higashi Honganji  - They are working on restoring the temple and have built a whole other structure around the original site. It was amazing to view from within.

The Higashi Honganji complex is the head temple of the Otani-ha branch of the Jodo Shin denomination of Buddhism, which is popularly known as Ohigashi-san. This was built on donated land, which the 12th abbot, Kyonyo, received from Tokugawa Ieyasu, the first shogun of the Edo period (1603-1868). While the Founder's Gate (Goei-do) is one of the three largest in Kyoto, the Founder's Hall (Goei-do) is one of the world's largest wooden structures, containing 927 tatami mats and the wooden image of Shinran Shonin, the founder of this denomination

From there it was down the street to Nishi Honganji Buddist Temple. 

Nishi Honganji was established in 1602 by the Shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu. Ieyasu split the main Honganji in Kyoto into two temples, Nishi Hongan-ji and Higashi Hongan-ji, in order to diminish the power of the Jōdo sect.[1] Nishi Hongan-ji is listed as one of the Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. 

Getting hungry and tired, we started back to the train station. Stopped in at Bic Camera, which is this immense electronics store, for a new camera case. With a whole wall to choose from, we had no problem finding one that would fit. Great - have been looking for that for a while now - guess we had to come to Japan for a reason. This place sells everything, including drones!

Back at the train station, we went underground where there's a gazzilion restaurants. Picked one, and had some dinner before boarding the train out of town. Made it here in about 20 minutes, our host picked us up at the station. It is a beautiful home in a quiet little town which will be a nice change of pace. Lots to do around here if we don't want to schlepp into Kyoto. There is never a shortage of temples.

After a glass of wine, and some good conversation, we said our good-nights. It'll be good to be in one place for a while.


Next time... Temples, temples, temples

The Ryokan

Skies were a bit darker this morning. Since check out was at noon and check in was at three, we took our time leaving the New Otani. Made a call to Geoff's brother, Andrew in Alaska, to say Happy Birthday - a day late. Would've called yesterday but we missed our window of opportunity time-wise. He sounded as though he was having a fine birthday even though there is still not much snow in Alaska. 

Now that we have mastered the fine skill of negotiating Tokyo's streets and subway system, not to mention our own hotel, it is time to leave. Checked out around 10:30 and went down the road to Tully's for some coffee and a danish. Lots of trains today, starting with the subway to Tokyo station to the JR (Japan Railway). We had ordered our JR passes at home and now had to activate them. Tokyo Station is massive but fortunately there are plenty of people who are more than eager to help ease the confusion. Found our way to the JR office and with expediency and efficiency our passes were validated and we had reserved seats on the 12:03 train to Kyoto. All we had to do was find the right track. More searching and asking brought us to track 32 with about a 30 minute wait. Not too bad. 

I don't have to say that the train showed up and was immediately scrubbed disinfected by a whole

lot of personnel. At exactly 12:03 we were off. The Shinkasen is one of the bullet trains that goes around 200mph. Even so, the trip to Kyoto was 2 hrs 47 min. Very comfortable with plenty of room for our bags. Once at Kyoto station, we had to search for the local train to Arashiyama (also a JR train). Found the track and our train was waiting - good for us that it was the rapid and not the local train. We only made 3 stops and got here in about 15 minutes. Hailed a taxi to drive us about 2 miles to the ryokan. We arrived at 3:30 - pretty good timing.

We have a lovely traditional Japanese room with private outdoor bath. Plus a public onsen (hot baths) downstairs. We were immediately served two kinds of green tea and a small snack. Donned our yukatas and went down to the onsen. Men's and women's are separate. You wash and scrub yourself first at a sit down station. Then, you can enter the hot bath. There is an inside and an outside bath. I did the inside because at the time I didn't know about the outside one - maybe later. It was extremely relaxing. 

We met up back in the room and wondered around the facility for a while. The ryokan is on the Oi river. There isn't much to do - not that we want to do anything. It rained on and off today, which was fine since we were on the trains all day. The blue sky is just now breaking out and tomorrow should be sunny with some clouds. We will have lots of time to explore the area in the morning before heading back to Kyoto.

We are now just sitting here and enjoying the silence after all the noise and madness the last couple of weeks this is such a welcomed treat.The only thing you hear is an occasional bird. I have an Asahi beer, which I got from the vending machine - that kills me! Another thing that really gets me is the toilet. When you flush the water goes through a sink up over the bowl so it used to wash hands before it flushes. So efficient. 

Traditional Japanese dinner will be served in our room tonight. We never really had a lunch - stopped to get some sort of a baguette at Kyoto station - so we'll enjoy all those dinner courses. 

Our wonderful geisha came at exactly 6:30 and the courses kept coming. There is a photo pictorial in the photo album. The food was outrageous. The only faux pax was when the sukiyaki came with meat and chicken - had to go back in exchange for the seafood. So we had to wait while that cooked but it was well worth waiting for. Not exactly sure of what it was we were eating but it was certainly delicious. 


After dinner we headed up to our private hot bath jacuzzi under the stars - except there were no stars - still cloudy. Who cares, the hot water and the jets felt wonderful. We are now waiting for our geisha to come and turn our living quarters into our bedroom.  With very little effort, our beds are all made and look terribly inviting. Sweet dreams.

Next time... Going to Kyoto

Exploring Tokyo

Caroline, our friend who so kindly volunteered to shovel our walkway, emailed and reported that she is sharing this blog with her class. So here is a big shout out to Miss Caroline's class. Glad you are enjoying the journey. 

There is nothing as quite as good as getting a good night's sleep. We woke late, at 9:30, thanks to the maids who were trying to get to clean the room. We quickly dressed and made a bee line for the travel agency to get our tickets from Linda. Once all the arrangements were made and paid for, we were free to head out and explore.

Found our way to the subway and made our connections to the famous Tsukiji fish market down by the harbor. This place was loaded with plenty to see, smell, and taste. Wandered in and out of the different stalls and then went on a mission to find a specific sushi place I had read about. Got directions but the line was around the corner - seems everyone read the same review. These sushi places are tiny, narrow cubbies that hold about a littler more than a dozen people - and if you are too wide, you won't make it in the space provided to get to a stool. There were about 10 different places right next to each other. We chose the one that had sushi and had the shortest line. You place you order while you are waiting outside so that when you finally get in, you don't waste time waiting. The Japanese are nothing, if not efficient.  Got inside and had a wonderfully unique Japanese experience. Very yummy - never had sushi for breakfast before (although by this time it was already noon - we just never ate). Took our time enjoying every morsel and then moved on.

The next stop was the Hamarikyu Gardens that was a short walk down to towards the water.

These gardens belonged to the Tokugawa shogunate and served as a branch castle for Edo Castle during the Edo period. They feature a tidal pond and two duck hunting grounds. It is said that the gardens as they currently appear were completed during the era of Tokugawa Ienari, the 11th shogun. After the Meiji Restoration, they became a villa belonging to the Imperial household, and the name was changed to “Hama-rikyu.” The gardens were given to the Tokyo Metropolitan Government in 1945, and they were opened to the public as “Hama-rikyu Onshi Park” in April of 1946.

There was a ferry leaving for Asakusa, another province up river, with traditional pagodas, at 1:40. We had just enough time to explore the area before boarding the ferry. Enjoyed the boat ride. We lucked out again today with the weather. Mostly sunny and mild temps. 

Landed in Asakusa and was in for a shock. This place is like Disneyland. In fact, there is an amusement park right next to these ancient temples. What's up with that? Oh, and don't forget the shopping malls surrounding the sacred grounds. Unbelievable. We did manage to get some kind of really good bean ice cream - so that made the trip worthwhile. 

Walked across the bridge to the Asahi building with the big golden flame and was hoping to find the brewery - never did. Time to go back underground. In honor of my nephew, Andrew, who is a great anime fan, we went to the anime capital of the world.

Akihabara (秋葉原), also called Akiba after a former local shrine, is a district in central Tokyo that is famous for its many electronics shops. In more recent years, Akihabara has gained recognition as the center of Japan's otaku (diehard fan) culture, and many shops and establishments devoted to anime and manga are now dispersed among the electronic stores in the district. 

Came out of the station and didn't have a clue where to go. Obviously, we went in the wrong direction. We wondered aimlessly around, almost giving up finding this place, when we ran into a couple of gals from the mid-west also searching for Electric Town. We walked and we asked directions but to no avail. A group of young Italian guys joined our party for a while also looking for this place. They gave up after a bit. Eventually, we turned the right corners and there we were in the middle of --- I don't even know how to describe it. Huge buildings bursting with music and lights. These anime shops are filled with arcade games, books, dvds, and more. It was overwhelming - especially for us old folk.

It was getting dark, so it was back to the subway. We hit it just in time before the rush hour started, which was a very good thing. They really pile into those subway cars. Back out on the street, we walked towards our hotel and went into the French restaurant where we had the omelets yesterday. It was quiet, and warm. Oh, the Japanese love being warm - the toilet seats are even heated! Getting back to dinner --- we ordered the  local mussels, which were fabulous. Treated ourselves to some kind of strawberry pie thing for dessert. It is strawberry season - so why not.

A short walk back to the hotel and about a mile walk within the hotel to get to our room. I still can't get over this place. Our room, is very nice and quite large  - considering we were expecting to be sleeping in something no bigger than a closet from what we read about in the guide books. 

Tomorrow we leave Tokyo for Arishyama - just west of Kyoto - for a night in a ryokan - traditional Japanese inn.  Looking forward to taking the bullet train.  

Next time ... The Ryokan

Turning Japanese

We have b in Tokyo now for about 12 hours or so and I still can't believe it. We were in a Japanese garden that actually is in JAPAN instead of some American tourist attraction. We both feel like we have entered an alternate universe from where we just came from. Nobody honks, nobody jaywalks, there is absolutely not one piece of litter anywhere to be found. Tokyo seems like the country compared to Saigon and Hanoi. Everyone appears to be well mannered and organized.

Back in Hanoi, our taxi came right at 8 sharp and we were at the Hanoi airport in plenty of time to panic about where to go and what to do. Nothing but shear chaos. Found the JAL counter and got in line. There were lots more lines after that until we boarded. Flight was uneventful, got some sleep, and landed a little bit early around 6:30am.

Bleary eyed we made our way to the Airport Limo counter and bought a round trip bus ticket to the airport combined with a 2-day subway pass. Had to wait around for the bus but we didn't care. We enjoy taking the bus into town because you can stow luggage and you get a free tour of the city. However, Tokyo does have its traffic problems and we didn't get to the hotel until 10:30. Could not check into the room we booked because it was too early. We could check into an upgraded room, however. Fine - just give me a bed!

We settled in, got a little rest, a cup of coffee, a shower, and we were good to go. First order of business was to go to the travel agent downstairs. This is a branch of the same agency I used in Boston. We had to figure out the timetable and the logistics and getting to the airport our last day from Hakone. I had emailed Yuki, our agent in Boston, and she alerted the team downstairs and told me to see Linda when we got here. Linda is great! A gal from Hawaii - so no language problem. We got the whole thing sorted out and ticketed and paid for without having to go running around town. Makes staying in this gigantic hotel worth it. Did I mention that this hotel is like a city.

From the travel agency, we attempted to go to the Imperial Palace and see the East Gardens. First we kept getting lost in the hotel itself trying to get outside. They do have their own nice gardens, however. Then someone sent us in an entirely different direction and we wound up at the Emperor's Palace (no getting into that). Turned around and retraced our steps. Lunch seemed appropriate. Found a French cafe and had a seat. Chatted with a guy from Chicago who now lives in Tokyo. He gave us some pointers.

After a couple of delicious omelets, we walked around the corner back to the hotel to get the metro passes that I forgot. It seems the Imperial Palace is farther away than we thought. We also touched base with Linda to see how the arrangements were coming along. That was taking some time so we hopped into a cab to get to the gardens before they closed. For whatever reason, we picked the one cab driver that didn't have clue where to go. Got close enough, paid far too much money, and walked the rest of the way.

Made it into the East Gardens with an hour to walk around before closing. Not too much is accessible and not too much is in bloom. There was one cherry blossom and everyone was taking pictures of it like it was the Messiah! (Myself included). The park closed at 4:30 and we headed toward a subway station to go to the Akasaka region for some sushi dinner on the recommendation of Mr. Chicago. Negotiating the streets are tricky. The signs and maps don't always match. Sometimes it is the western alphabet and more often than not, Japanese characters. There is a lot of guess work involved. We did manage to find the right station. It was 5 o'clock and I was expecting pandemonium. Nothing. The train was practically empty and everyone was cordial.

Arrived at the Akasaka station and it felt a little like Times Sq. There is a big complex for the TBS station (Tokyo Broadcasting Service). Didn't have a clue about where to go. There were no little tourist agencies like in Vietnam. We roamed around aimlessly for a while and then I went into the Family Mart and asked the guy "where can you get good reasonably priced sushi?" Turns out he went to school in Michigan - Christian school, very proud of being baptisted. He took off his apron and escorted us to a restaurant and told us of another down the street from that. He was awfully cute. Thanked him and went for our first sushi in Japan.

No one spoke English but we made ourselves understood. The sushi was like butter and the price was extremely reasonable. We were both getting tired and we had to make our way back to the hotel. The gps helped us out. Even though it couldn't read a lot of the streets, it still pointed us in the right direction. We just kept moving with the arrow and then we heard "Mr. Sullivan, Mr. Sullivan." How many can there be in? Turned around and there was our good friend Linda from the agency. She had left some messages for us and was glad she caught up with us. It was bizarre hearing your name in the middle of this huge city that you've only been in for a couple of hours. Anyway, we answered her questions and we will pick up our tickets in the morning.

Coming into the hotel, we found an alternative (if we want it) to their mega$$ breakfast buffet. We may just have coffee in the room and pick something up in route. The plan tomorrow is to hit the fish market, another garden, then hopefully catch a boat over to Askusa. We'll see. For now, sleep is definitely the name of the game. Oh, I forgot to mention, we had bright sunny skies and warm temps all day today. Not sure it will stay like that but we've got our fingers crossed.

Next time... Exploring Tokyo

Last Day in Nam

looking back

It is now 9am and we don't check our till noon. Not much to do, so I thought I would write a little recap of our bike trip. My total mileage was 435m and Geoff did about 450m. Geoff doing both mountain passes and I certainly did my share of some pretty stiff climbs. Only one person fell, that being Geoff (and now the story is he got pushed by a cow!). That does not include the many slips and slides through the mud fields. There were 9 flat tires (both of us having one). And it only rained 2 days. It is unbelievable to me how we were able to negotiate through some of the worst traffic in the world, along with animal crossings, and whatever else got in our path, without one incident (except for Geoff and the cow - but that was minor).  I am still trying to wrap my mind around the whole event. Everyone in our group should be quite proud of themselves. Dave, being our elder at 74, managed every pass, hill, construction site, mud, and every other terrain we crossed. Truly a remarkable experience. Thanks again to SpiceRoads and our two great guides.

Back to present day:

Chickened out on the herbal tea. We were not sure of the quantity and that seemed a bit risky -anything could happen. So G went down the the pharmacy to pick up some pills.

We headed out for pizza and ran into Freeman and Sonja by the elevator. He was sick as well. Lost 7 pounds in one day. Heard that John wasn't too well either. So something happened during our last day of the tour. Fortunately, it was at the end of the biking. Of course, I have the exact opposite problem as everyone else - that's enough said.

We were in search of Pizza Coozi, which happened to be down a small side street filled with scooters and outdoor eaters. The sign led us down a dark alley and looked like it was headed towards someone's kitchen. Found out it wasn't a restaurant - just a takeaway place. Got out of there and searched the streets for pizza. English isn't too well spoken here, but I found out you have better luck with the travel agencies (of which there are many). Eventually, we found a restaurant that made pizza - of a sort. Ordered a cheese and tomato and asked to throw in some basil. They were small, we had two. It occurred to me that I hadn't had a true meal in a while. 

Sat at a table outside and watched the traffic go by. While we were waiting, our waitress asked the usual questions: Where are you from, how long are you here, etc. We told her that we just finished a biking trip from Saigon to Hanoi. "At your age!" was the response. That gave us a chuckle. When we said we were off to Japan the next day, she wanted to know where the rest of our group was. Not too many Americans (especially our age) travel solo. 

Never made it to the night market. Took my little orange pills and was sound asleep by 8:30. Had a solid 10 hours of sleep, which seemed to do me a lot of good. Feeling better this morning. Good thing - we have to pack and check out and check into our backpacker hotel for the day. It will be a challenge going through the streets with our luggage. The new hotel is about 5 blocks away.  Not much to do but go to the Water Puppet show - looking forward to that.

Heard from back home. I guess it is snowing again. What's up with that? 

Surprisingly easy walk to the new hotel. To our advantage, the streets were finally dry and not so populated - maybe they all go to work on Monday? Anyway, we have a very adequate room for $20 till 8pm.  Going out to do more exploring. Later

Walked around the lake and on the iconic Red Bridge or the Rising Sun Bridge. Then we walked around some more. The sun actually made an appearance on and off today but in the end the clouds won out. Went for lunch at the famous City View Cafe high up - but they were full outside. The Highland Cafe was two floors down so we stopped there. After lunch we ran into the guy who took Geoff's shoe yesterday. He started after us again so we took off. Small town - time to leave. Wound up across the street at another upstairs cafe and had a smoothie. Just trying to kill time before the water puppets show. There was a couple from England up there and he was sketching the traffic scene. It was quite good.

Eventually, 4pm came and we entered the theater. Great seats in the second row. The show is just long enough at about 45 minutes. Very entertaining. 

The world-famous Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre in Hanoi has its roots in an art form that dates back to the 11th century. The tradition of water puppet theatre stems from a time when rice paddy fields were flooded and villagers would make entertainment by standing in the waist-deep water with the puppets performing over the water.Using large rods to support the puppets it appeared as if they were moving across the water with the puppeteers hidden behind a screen.

Now having coffee in our room. Taxi is coming at 8pm and off we go again. Get into Tokyo at 6:30am - no sleep tonight.

Next time... Turning Japanese

 

Hanoi Hilton

Decided to get room service last night and split a dish of fried noodles with veggies. Got to sleep early and got lots of rest. The morning started out OK. We were the only ones at breakfast because it was after 9am. Gathered our stuff and headed out for the Hanoi Hilton (or Hoa Lo Prison) well within walking distance from the hotel.

It definitely felt strange being at a place that is so much a part of our own history. We got a kick out of seeing John McCain's flight suit hanging proudly.

This thought-provoking site is all that remains of the former Hoa Lo Prison, ironically nicknamed the ‘Hanoi Hilton’ by US POWs during the American War. Most exhibits relate to the prison’s use up to the mid-1950s, focusing on the Vietnamese struggle for independence from France. A gruesome relic is the ominous French guillotine, used to behead Vietnamese revolutionaries. There are also displays focusing on the American pilots who were incarcerated at Hoa Lo during the American War.

These include Pete Peterson (the first US ambassador to a unified Vietnam in 1995), and Senator John McCain (the Republican nominee for the US presidency in 2008). McCain’s flight suit is displayed, along with a photograph of Hanoi locals rescuing him from Truc Bach Lake after being shot down in 1967.

 The vast prison complex was built by the French in 1896. Originally intended to house around 450 inmates, records indicate that by the 1930s there were close to 2000 prisoners. Hoa Lo was never a very successful prison, and hundreds escaped its walls over the years – many squeezing out through sewer grates.

From the prison it was a short walk to the Women's Museum. This was extremely interesting and some very good exhibits. 

The Vietnamese Women’s Museum, in Hanoi, was founded by the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam in 1987 as an entity within the Viet Nam Women’s Union. The museum explores Viet Nam’s cultural diversity and women’s significant contributions to the nation’s development, culture and society. The Vietnamese Women’s Museum is a community repository of cultural and historical knowledge about Vietnamese women’s lives across the nation’s 54 ethnic community groups. The Museum is also a centre for cultural exchange with women from other nations with the goal of fostering ‘equality, development and peace’.
The permanent galleries feature three thematic displays:
Women in FamilyWomen in HistoryWomen’s FashionThe Museum’s collection features historical and contemporary objects which illustrate and reflect the lives and roles of Vietnamese women in society.

I was starting to lose my energy again. We stopped for a mango smoothie which was absolutely delicious. Then it was time to make our way back to the hotel. We took the route by the lake since we hadn't been down there yet. Hoan Kiem Lake - Lake of the Returned Sword - is a slice of some tranquility in the midst of chaos. Along the way, we ran into one of the many, many donut ladies. We had to buy some because I really wanted the picture.

Back in the room, I took a nap and Geoff went out to try to find something to remedy my stomach ills. The pharmacy was closed for lunch. I decided to look up herbal medicines, since we are in Asia after all. As it turns out there is an herbal street. In Vietnam most retail is organized by streets. All the hardware is sold in one place, eye glasses in another, etc. We are in the silk district of the old quarter. The old quarter is packed full of tiny streets and alleys loaded with vendors. Anyway, we wrote down my malady in Vietnamese.

I made some jasmine tea and had one of the little donuts. Started to feel better. It was time to venture out again. We want to see the water puppet show tomorrow afternoon and were told to get tickets a day in advance. Off we went, back down to the lake area. No problem getting tix for the 4:10 show. Now, we were in search of Lan Ong street for the herb. This is when one of the dedicated shoe shine repair guys practically ripped Geoff's shoe off of him and began sewing and gluing it together. Geoff didn't even know there was something wrong with the shoe. This kid went on and on sewing then cleaning - we would have still been there if we didn't pull the shoe away and said enough. G gave him some money and we pressed on.


Found our street and went into one of the herbal shops. It took some communication skills but we came away with an herb that needs to be brewed for tea. We checked with a couple of shops to make sure I got the right thing. We are going to brew it in the hot water maker tonight before bed. I should know if it worked by morning. Wish me luck.

Walking through the herb district, we came across a brush maker. He had lots of hand-made brushes. We watched him work for a while and then bought a few brushes for a special artist. Kept walking through the various streets of the Old Quarter and eventually made our way back to the room.

Thinking of pizza tonight - just to change things up a bit. There is one near the night market. We can go through that again when it is not raining. Looks like the sky might actually clear soon. 
Till tomorrow.

Next time... Last day in Nam

Exploring Hanoi

Didn't have a good start this morning. We both didn't sleep well due to stomach issues. Geoff has it a bit worse than I do. Well, at least we don't have to get on a bike. It felt very strange not having to scurry to have breakfast and rush to get down to the bus or bike. 

The first order of business was to get our wash done. Hugh found a reasonably priced laundry around the corner at a tourist agency. The hotel laundry is a real rip-off. Stopped in at the pharmacy on the way back from dumping the laundry and picked up some medication - hope it helps.

Went to breakfast and met some of the group that are still in town. David is moving to a backpack hotel today. We decided to walk down with him and see if we could get a room for half a day on the 16th. Our flight leaves at midnight and we have to check our here by noon. His hotel was booked solid but we had success further up the street. Nice clean room for $20 from noon till 8pm -  Sold! At least we'll be able to rest up and shower before heading off to the airport.


The weather continues to be cloudy, but it is not raining and quite pleasant to walk around. Hanoi is much more organized than Saigon. Although the traffic is still nuts, there are many more traffic lights. It is a smaller city but more congested. We walked along taking in the sights.

Eventually, made our way over to the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum and viewed his body (no pictures allowed). Walked around the grounds and then headed to the Temple of Learning.

The Temple of Literature was founded in the year 1070, and was dedicated to the Chinese Philosopher, CONFUCIOUS.In 1076, it became Vietnam's 1st University. An archeological study has found that the majority of the site belongs to Ly (1010-1225) and Tran (1225 - 1400), it really is very olold. There are side passages between the five courtyards, and these were used by Royalty who entered through the main gate, and students had to enter via the side passage ways. The open pavillions in the courtyards were used for students to study. The 1st two courtyards are mainly gardens and trees, with the third courtyard being taken up by a large pond called 'The Well of heavenly clarity"
On either sides, there are pavillions with steles which are sitting on top of a large Tortoise. These steles honour the schools successful doctorate candidates. 
The next courtyard is the Sage courtyard which is paved and has buildings on three sides. Here, is the "great house of ceremonies " and inside is a large lacquered statue of Confucious. 
The last courtyard is Thai Hoc, and here you find the large Drum and Bell Tower.

Geoff wasn't feeling that well, so we headed back to the hotel. Stopped into a market along the way to pick up some drinks and a snack for me. Geoff needed to rest so I decided to go downstairs and partake in a two-hour salon treatment from head to toe. Vietnam traditional massage (not as rough as Thai), reflexology, and facial all for $50. The girl was terrific but the spa left something to be desired. No soft music or dim lights. Nonetheless, I left feeling much more relaxed. 

Got back to room and now my stomach is woozy. Maybe all of our gastro-delights have caught up with us. Time to rest the body. Bye for now

Next time... Hanoi Hilton