Our experience in Hanoi was mostly defined by
early mornings. We arrived in Hanoi twice at 5am. That's
before hotels open, so we spent a couple of mornings from 5 to 7
wandering around the lake. Here Julie tries to look pleasant
despite a long night train ride and a long wait for the sun to come up
and a cafe to open.
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Hmmm, this photo probably isn't from Hanoi at
all because Julie has a rain coat on. It must be from Hue before
we got on the train, but it is still a lovely shop and there is probably
a shop just like it in Hanoi.
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Hanoi felt so homey and European after the
rest of Vietnam. It is still ruled by the moto (as in the center
of this photo), but it is surrounded by tree-lined streets and plenty of
beauty.
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We made an excursion to Ho Chi Minh's tomb,
but found it closed (the blue sign says, "No Entrance" and the uniformed
guards probably say "No Entrance", but I didn't stick around to work out
the translation). We arrived at the unlucky time each year when
Uncle Ho is sent to Russia for a little extra embalming.
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The highlight of Hanoi for me was my "hot
toc". I had been learning Vietnamese by reading street signs and
one of the easiest to spot was the hot toc or hair cut. I finally
stopped for a haircut and shave at this strip of barbers. Not only
did I get a haircut and a regular straight razor shave, but he also
shaved my forehead, my earlobes, between my eyebrows, and my nose – all
with a straight razor.
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