Hello, Vietnam! First stop: Hanoi

We've been in Vietnam for 2 weeks now-- I am behind on blogging because we have been so busy enjoying this country!!  We are loving Vietnam more and more every day.  So here's what we've been up to, starting with our first stop:  Hanoi.

We flew in from Hong Kong and by the time we got to our hotel it was something like 1 AM.  After sleeping in the next morning, we headed into the Old Quarter of Hanoi.  The first thing we explored?  The food.  And it was delicious (the first of many such meals so far)!  I don't usually take pictures of food in restaurants, but we couldn't help ourselves because it was all so flavorful, so fresh, and so well presented.  These are our first fresh spring rolls and also chicken in a coconut.  Yum!!

After wandering around the Old Quarter a bit, we stopped to watch a water puppet performance.  Water puppetry is a traditional Vietnamese art that dates back as far as the 11th century, and it was traditionally performed by villagers in flooded rice fields.  For tourists, it is performed in a waist-deep pool with a screen hiding the puppeteers in the back.

The puppetry was accompanied by traditional Vietnamese music and singing.

After the performance, we continued our walk through the center of Hanoi.  We crossed this bridge across Hoan Kiem Lake to get to a small island that holds Ngoc Son Temple and some impressive bonsai trees.

The next day we started out at Hoá Lò Prison, infamously known in America as the "Hanoi Hilton", where soldiers (including John McCain) were imprisoned during the Vietnam War.

Prior to its use during the Vietnam War (or, as it's called here, the American War, but I'll get to that in a minute), Hoá Lò was used to house Vietnamese imprisoned by the French. Many Vietnamese men, women, and even children (born while their mothers were imprisoned) suffered horrific punishments, treatment, and death sentences for their actions against the French.  This was a recreation of what one room looked like during those times.

This was a smaller cell...there were also separate cells for women (and sometimes their children).

On either side of this corridor are tiny cells that housed prisoners who were sentenced to death.  (Sidenote:  Bob and I previewed each room prior to taking the boys in.  This area included displays on torture instruments and the guillotine that was used to put prisoners to death...we felt it was too graphic for them, so they skipped this part.)

The part of the prison that dealt with the years during which Americans were held as prisoners of war was a bit difficult for us.  The testimonies of American POW's regarding their treatment during those years contradicts these cheerful photos of Americans eating large meals, gardening, and playing sports.  In this section there was also a photo of John McCain returning to Hoá Lò around 2000.....I can not imagine the strength that visit must have taken, especially when he walked through this same exhibit.

Touring Hoá Lò Prison was our first indication that perspectives on the history of 1954-1975 would be quite different than what Bob and I had learned way back in school.  Even the name of the conflict proves this point:  what we Americans call the "Vietnam War" is, in fact, the "American War" here.  (Our family has thus been calling it the "Vietnam/American War", to be fair.)

It is quite a thought-provoking experience to take in the Vietnam perspective on the events of the Vietnam/American War IN Vietnam.  There's no doubt that the Vietnam/American War has left an indelible mark on American history, most importantly for the men and women who gave their lives and/or health when their country demanded it.  However, for many Americans (including me), the Vietnam/American War has been mostly relegated to history books.  Here in Vietnam, we're quickly learning that the physical and cultural effects of that conflict are often still quite evident, 50+ years later.

For the most part, the Vietnamese perspective on the war is providing tremendous learning moments for us all and sparking excellent family discussions about the causes and consequences of conflicts, how to prevent war, political systems, etc.  At times (like after the exhibit above), the Vietnamese perspective is also sparking discussions about the power of media, the messages that are conveyed by governments, and the need for critical thinking when taking in these messages.  Experiential learning at its finest.

From Hoá Lò Prison, we headed on to what's known as The Temple of Literature, which houses Vietnam's first national university.  The grounds were very pretty and provided some nice shade on a super hot and humid day (also the first of many).

As we left, these ladies carrying beautiful flowers passed by on the bikes.

Our final stop of the day was at the Vietnam Military History Museum.  This museum houses exhibits on the First Indochina War (when the Vietnamese fought the French from 1946-1954) and the Vietnam/American war.  All 3 boys were particularly interested in the collection of tanks, airplanes, helicopters, and other equipment.

The biggest display was of the wreckage of an American B-52 airplane, which was a bit emotional to see.  I thought of the fear that these planes must have caused for the residents of Hanoi as well as the destruction the planes rained down, but I also thought of the fate of this plane's aircrew and the impact on their families.

After a day full of sights and a lot to think about, we headed back to our hotel to swim and rest.  The next day, we headed to the Vietnam Museum of Ethnology.  Inside were interesting exhibits on the 54 minority ethnic groups that make up Vietnam.  This was one of our favorite pieces--a bike filled with fishing traps.  Nearby was a picture of the bike's owner riding it just as it was displayed.  Coming from The Netherlands, we have seen a lot of things on bikes but never anything like this!

Outside there was a fantastic collection of traditional homes that different ethnic groups used (the steps into this long house have boobs).

The boys loved climbing up into this super high house on stilts.

This next structure is actually a tomb, not a house.  If you look closely, you can see that it is decorated with not-quite-PG wooden figurines that symbolized fertility.

The next day was our last one in Hanoi and one of our nicest.  It came about because, a few months ago, I connected with a lady in Hanoi through a Couchsurfing group.  (For those who are not familiar:  Couchsurfing is an online community to connect people who need a place to stay with people who are willing to host them.  Having stayed with 80+ host families during my Up With People year, I love the Couchsurfing spirit, which aims to connect travelers and locals so they can share homes, meals, and cultures.)

Nhung and I connected because she was interested in our plans to travel long term, and she invited me to get in touch if our travels brought us to Hanoi.  So...I did!  Eventually we made our way to Nhung's apartment (but not before going to the same apartment number in the wrong building and being met at the door by a very confused Vietnamese man in his underwear...oops!).

After meeting Nhung, her son, her parents, and chatting for a bit in her lovely home, we walked together to a nearby neighborhood market to get supplies for that evening's meal.  We stopped at this street side stand to try a typical Vietnamese rice and corn product...the machine on the left was churning out a long crispy roll (it smelled like popcorn).  The guy seated would cut it into pieces, bag it, and sell it as quickly as he could get it ready.  It was crunchy and yummy!

The market was bustling with people stopping by after work.  There were animals of all kinds for sale.

These are turtles and crabs.

We also saw lots of varieties of rice.

And, of course, loads of fresh, beautiful produce!

We headed back to Nhung's apartment, where we made dinner together--all kinds of wonderful foods, including homemade crispy spring rolls.

Nhung's son, Sau, would open the packets of rice paper and hand them to me.  I would attempt to fill and roll them, but mine were nowhere as neat or nice looking as Nhung's.

At one point, Nhung had to do something and so I took over at the stove, frying the spring rolls.

Nhung's husband came home from work to find us all in his home, and he was as gracious and welcoming as Nhung.  When all the food was ready, we all shared a delicious meal and conversation together.

And before we headed back to our hotel, we got a great photo of us and our new friends in Hanoi.  Hopefully one day we can welcome Nhung and her family in our own home.

Not only did we really enjoy meeting Nhung and her family, but their generous hospitality also sparked more great discussions in our family.  50 years ago, our two countries were at war....and it was only 21 years ago that Vietnam and America reopened diplomatic ties.  After so many horrible years of war and devastation, it could be easy to understand if Vietnamese people might want nothing to do with Americans (or vice versa).  Instead, people like Nhung and her family have been overwhelmingly friendly and welcoming.  We really enjoyed our time with Nhung and her family on a social level, and I'd like to think that our new friendship also helps strengthen, in a small but meaningful way, the bonds of friendship and peace between our two countries.