Hit a couple of museums, lunch and dinner were very good (pho of course), and a great after dinner walk around. Somewhere in there I had the most spectacular nap.
Here’s todays pictures…
Pretty close to my hostel is an (the only) original section of city gateI was here pretty early, usually its crawling with touristsIm constantly reminded of the ruling political partyThere were blocks of folks selling fake flowersThis neighborhood is focused on building materialsI’m surprised and pleased that so many trees are left on the streets.Looks fancy, right? Well, it’s a prison built by the French to brutally punish political prisoners in their occupation of Vietnam
An actual section of sewer that several prisoners escaped throughIt doesn’t really show, but the concrete slab is angled backwards, so that when the prisoners passed waste it would run back up their bodies. Thanks, the French!The actual guillotine that the French used to execute several men (and women (?)A nice little courtyard with altar. A lot of the offerings were packs of cigarettesSome of the bad-ass female prisonersPatriots and communistsSome of the prisoners that survived went on to become prominent party members
Now once the French left the country, the communist party took over the prison and used it for their own political prisoners, as well as American POWs. John McCain was held here I believe ?
This obviously well-used and maintained train track dead ends…At this gate, we know its a government building bc it’s yellow. Mysterious!This coffee was the first “real” Vietnamese coffee I’d had. Pretty good and less than a dollar, it was served room temperature.The Fine Arts Museum, it’s on embassy rowA great display of folk arts and craftsToken exhibit of ceramics, not too shabby A traveling exhibition of Japanese ceramicsIt was a good representative section of functional and artisanal work
More folk art, a mask used in playsA temporary exhibit of contemporary lacquer paintingsThis very old wood panel is in great shape. It must have been inside for most of its centuriesAn entire floor of temple artI’m not bagging on only the french. This very good woodcut references the Christmas Bombings, where the US bombed the crap out of northern vietnam. They got their own back, dont worry. The action was disastrous for the US. Lots of American B52s shot down, lots of dead soldiers. Since this is a government museum, there were lots of depictions of this subject matter.Another pro-communist lacquer painting, this time good-natured uncle Ho playing with schoolchildrenEnough propaganda. This ridiculously cheap lunch was delicious. Some nameless fried fish bits, and oniony soupy noodles.A lot of eating establishments have birds in cages in the treesAfter my nap, I discovered that a bunch of streets had been closed off for some type of fair. The emergence of the little dog! Thank goodness. The pet situation had been looking grim. So many little dogs today!
A pretty good band was playing some hits. the froyo not as goodHackey sack is reaaaaly popular hereA popular spot for wedding photos. it’s a very nice shopping mallThe Opera HouseDon’t you forget, you are in a communist countryUnder this monstrosity is a classic French five story house.
They’re supposed to look like this…
Haussman is the architect who designed a lot of Paris.This block was traditionally a silk manufacturing place. now they’re mostly concerned with separating you from your money
King Le Thai ToiThese guys were pretty good too. Kinda sounded latin
Travels with Froggy and Other Stuff 