Day 6 - Ho Chi Minh & Confucious

Today was a busy day. We got up and went to see Ho Chi Minh in the mausoleum that he is in. This is THE national monument of Vietnam and the lines are incredibly long. But they do go fast. You can't take pictures inside, so you don't get to see dead Ho Chi Minh, sorry. Actually, what I thought when I saw him was if Madame Tousseau had come to Vietnam because he looks like he's a wax figure, not an embalmed, well preserved real body. I don't know. That all sounds disgusting and morbid, I know, but I'm just making an observation...

Then we went to the first university in Vietnam, which was set up in the 10th century for people to study Confucionism. Anyone who passed all the exams was able to get a job with the government as a provincial leader, or work with the national government. It was actually used until 1919. This is the entrance.
Each year that exams were given, a list of the people who earned doctors of philosophy were inscribed onto tablets that stand inside the university. This was to keep a record of who passed the exams and to inspire others to seek higher learning. Students still come here to rub the turtles' heads for good luck before taking important exams or to leave money on the turtles' backs. There are like 87 tablets or something.

Here is a crane & turtle inside the temple. The turtle represents earth and the crane represents heaven.

Here is the main building where students learned. These buildings were destroyed somehow and were later rebuilt in the same style as the originals. The lady in the blue shirt was our guide who told me all about the university.

Here are some actual artifacts that were found and dug up from between the 10th and 19th centuries. Hai said the one on the top left looks like Illinois.

Confucious.

In the afternoon, we took a drive around Hanoi and looked at all the sights, including the Hanoi Opera House and other cool buildings. A lot of the architecture is French, since they occupied Vietnam for so long.

There is a lake smack dab in the middle of Hanoi and there is a temple right next to it that we went to.

The entrance to the temple. Pretty, huh?

Every temple seems to have an outer and inner entrance. I don't know why, but I love them.

Van & Holly making faces as we sat and rested by the water.

This is a famous turtle that was taken out of the lake. It is so huge!

Inside the temple itself.

Lots of people burn incense and fake money in little things like this.

Holly was very good today considering that she was sweating like a little pig. We even got some smiles out of her!

After our driving tour and looking at the temple, we went to eat dinner and then went to the night market. Every time I looked at something with even mild interest, Van's dad would ask if I wanted it. Sometimes he would even buy it after I had walked away and give it to me. I think its a good thing that Van had to borrow Pop's suitcase to bring back here...I might be glad that I have that one AND the extra one that I brought! Hai, Van & Van's dad are so in love with Holly that they buy her the craziest things, both little and big. Getting though the airport with my bags by myself in Seattle is going to be problematic, I think!

We stayed up very, very late and Holly was completely wiped out when we got back to the hotel. She has rolled over since this picture, but she is still sleeping soundly. I think (hope) we get to sleep in tomorrow.

Tomorrow afternoon we will fly to the town where Van's dad works. I can't remember the name of it. We will go to an amusement park while we are there and I don't know what else. I may also remember that Van said we would go to the factory that her dad manages or something.