Ha Noi and Ho Chi Minh

The sleeper bus thankfully got us to Ha Noi alive - it was touch and go at one or two times! Sleep was off and on but was a saviour from the maniacal driving.  We found a nice little hotel just off the backpacker alley and by 8am had showered and breakfasted and on our way to see Ho Chi Minh. Passing a huge statue of Lenin en route how odd!

Ho Chi Minh, or Uncle Ho to his friends, is kept in an enormous mausoleum built specially for the purpose. The security is absolutely unbelievable.  We even had a bottle of water taken off us as we went through security. Adrian got told to unclasp his hands from behind his back, I got told to shut my guidebook which I was reading in the queue - yes, queue! It was good to see the old guy but it has to be said he looked very like a wax work. From here we went on to the Ho Chi Minh museum which was very interesting but quite propagandarist (if that is actually a word).

Ha Noi is a lovely capital city, nothing like what we were expecting at all and certainly not like Saigon which is what all the other travellers we've spoken to have said.  Strange what different people like isn't it! As you can imagine we're knackered from the bus so a good afternoon ziz is required.  Our bar in Ha Noi is a little locals bar at the road side with cheap draught beer which is a barrel in a fridge with a hose from it which if lifted stops dispensing - genius.  At the centre of the old quarter is a lake with a little island in. On the island is a little pagoda with an embalmed tortoise, legend has it that these live in the lake and even in 2007 a picture was taken of a large tortoise swimming in the lake - The Ha Noi'an Nessie!

Walking the streets is an absolute must here, there are so many shops all selling the same thing - eveything is beautiful and relatively inexpensive. Tickets to leave by the 6am train tomorrow have been purchased but we'll be back!