Tourist in Hanoi (Ron)

I thought I would add some pictures and comments from the tourist sites that I've visited in Hanoi. Most of these I saw a few weeks ago but some were just this past weekend.


This Hoan Kiem Lake, one of the multiple lakes in Hanoi but the most popular being right in the center of downtown.


A refurbished section of Hoa Lo prison. Originally constructed as a prison to hold Vietnamese political prisoners fighting against French occupation it is commonly known as the famous prison where US Soldiers were held during the "American War" as it's known here.


The Temple of Literature is the first "university" of Vietnam established in 1076. It has stone tablets with the names of its doctoral graduates.


I enjoy the Night market better in Hanoi than in other places. It's more of a gathering place for a nice walk than the Ben Thanh market in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) where you are treated as a walking wallet.


Speaking of "Uncle Ho" here is his final resting place and Ba Dinh square. The sheer size of this open area is hard to describe. In one of the most crowded cities I have seen, this large open area is just stunning.

My project is coming along fine. Two months just isn't a lot of time to get even basic research done in my mind, but I think what I'll collect will be helpful to ACS and hopefully to the organizations here.

This upcoming weekend I'm going to travel to Sapa which is a nothern mountainous region where many ethnic minorities live. Hiking along the rice paddies from village to village sounds like a great way to spend my weekend in attempt to get away from city life.