Hanoi, capital of Vietnam

Street vendors in Hanoi

The steets at down times, usually their full of motorbikes, cyclos, vendors, and traffic.

Red bridge to a small island out in a lake.

Temple of the Great Tortiouse (out on the island)

Inside the temple you can see a big embalmed tortoise,
a specific breed said to live in the lake.

Water Puppetry
Vietnam is famous for it's unique puppet theatre. The pupperts are on long strings or controls from below in the water. The puppet masters stand in the pool of water behind the backdrop to control the movements of the puppets. There is a band that sits to the side of the stage and provides music and voices for the puppets. Many of the stories are about farm work or rice harvesting, so the movements of the puppets set over the water is really cool.

our hotel- one of many brightly painted tall buildings in Hanoi

Police or military marching.

Ho Chi Ming's Stilt House

Signing banning the taking of pictures.
It's on a tree outside a high wall for some government building.

Don't you love how the cyclo driver is on the wrong side of the road? He should be on the other side of the divider to the right. I took the shot from a cyclo that my friend and I took- we were also heading in the wrong direction and about 40 seconds after this pic we almost died as a truck headed straight for us. Somehow we survived- not sure how really, my eyes were closed.

On our way to the mausolium-
as we get closer the partiotic and socialist banner and signs increase in number.

Presidencial Palace or some other famous building. Again, don't remember.

"Vietnam Ho Chi Ming, Vietnam Ho Chi Ming"
Ho Chi Ming's final resting place
Between 6 and 11am, you can go inside and see him. Just like Mao, Stalin, and Lenin- Ho Chi Ming was embalmed and layed out so people can come and view his body. Unfortunantly for us we got there just as they closed the doors at 11- so we didn't get to see the general on ice. Maybe next time.

Some of us Fukui girls in front of the mausolium.

Postcard and souvinour stall- as if you couldn't tell

Some old temple or something. I honestly don't remember. It was around the corner from the postcard stall and I got pre-occuped filling out postcards and didn't pay attention to what was so special about this small shrine/ temple thing in the pond.

Lots of motorbikes- all colors and kinds
You see them everywhere, on the street and park along all the sidewalks.

Not sure, but I believe the plaques are for tombstones or something to do with the dead. There are one street lined with shops that make these this. It was kind of funny because the gun used to write on the plaque sounded and reminded me of a tattoo gun.

Sign reads- "Dog meat"
Yes, they eat dog in Vietnam. I didn't try it but I did see lots of local resturants
and shops with signs out advertising that they sell it.

Small park and local hang out near the lake in the old quater

Swan boats, some people rent them and float around the lake- although I'm not sure who
would want to, the lake looked pretty toxic and the smell was faul, too.

Just Married! Guess the custom of decorating the newlyweds car is the same in Vietnam