Day 4

Today we visited several famous landmarks in the city of Hà Nội. First, we took the bus at 8am to the Mausoleum of President Ho Chi Minh and saw his embalmed body in an area meant for peace and respect. Our tour guide told us people usually have to wait in line for an hour before getting inside, but we got there early enough to avoid the long wait. In this area we were quiet and respectful, walking silently with our hands by our hips. This was a surreal experience and truly moved many of us experiencing it for the first time.

From the Mausoleum we went to the home of President Ho Chi Minh, seeing his traditional three room house which consisted of a living room, bedroom, and dining room. In the same area was a Pagoda, a traditional tiered tower meant for prayer to a Buddha. After the tour of these houses we were given the opportunity to shop for fruit and souvenirs.

Next we took the bus to the Lacquer Village, getting an inside look at how some intricate paintings are created in Vietnam. These different methods are all very stunning, for example they used the crumbled shells of eggs to make designs. Many of us ending up buying our own.

After the Lacquer Village we went to a buffet style lunch, having over 20 different stands with food ranging from colored sushi to escargot. We all ate a ton of new food and were completely stuffed afterward.

        

From lunch we took the bus to the Hoa Lo prison, which was created by French colonists to house political prisoners and, later, where North Vietnamese housed American POWs. This prison is where US Senator John McCain was held during the war. We went inside some of the cells and Macy "accidentally" locked Claire and Anthony in a cell and walked away. (They were later rescued by the Nathan Boice.)

After the prison we went to the Temple of Literature, which is meant for prayers asking for luck or fortune in life. Some come to pray for prosperity at their jobs, while others pray for good luck on exams in school. This Temple is also seen on the banknote for 100,000 Vietnamese đồng.

     

With the Temple concluding our tour of the city, we headed back to the hotel to drop off our bags and grab our new favorite drink, brown coffee. It is a delicious combination of slow-dripped coffee and condensed milk. After enjoying our coffee we went to dinner, having rice noodles meant for dipping in a vinegar fish sauce including pork and beef. This restaurant is famous for being visited by Obama on May 23, 2016.