A Wet Day in Hanoi

Yes I know to you and me it sounds a bit petty, but to Jackie, an efficient hotel laundry service was manna from heaven, considering that most people seem to eat off the dirty, wet streets! She gave the cleaner a soggy, smelly heap of stuff yesterday and it arrived back this morning smelling of a freshly mown meadow!

Matt, Livs and Dad went to the lake to try and catch the Tai Chi exercises but arriving at 7.30am we were about 2.5 hrs late. But the highlight of the morning was the facinating market we stumbled on on the way back.

The kids saw live fish, an eel being killed, snails being disembowelled to make paste and a plate of brains (as well as the more mundane fresh fruit and vegetables and incredible array of herbs and spices for sale.

The kids bought Mum a dozen fresh roses (for about 80p but don't tell Jackie!).

Then we took a taxi to Ho Chi Minh's Mausoleum (he's been dead for over 30 years now and still people flock to see him) Being a Sunday, hundreds of people were queueing to see his body, which meant over an hour's wait, so we postponed the visit and went to the Temple of Literature instead.

The picture shows a group of excited Vietnamese school kids having their photo taken with us.

After a rest in our hotel room, we then did some successful shopping and got back for an early night. Off to Halong Bay for 3 days early tomorrow so you won't hear from us for a few days.