Hanoi Part 2

I arrived back in Hanoi in the late afternoon after a mini bus - boat - minibus - coach (and the nicest one I've been on in all of SEA) combination. Quite tedious. I shared a cab into the Old Quarter with some fellow travellers after escaping the mad rabble of drivers that descend on any bus arrival. I treated myself to a boutique hotel (Impressive Hotel - and it was - big TV, computer in the room etc.) and settled in for my last few days, not just in Hanoi but for the trip. To be honest it passed in a blur of shopping and sightseeing. I won't bore you with the shopping other than to say that it was exhausting. The weather was hot and humid making my already short fuse even shorter. On my one shopping free day I made and early start and walked to Ho Chi Minh's mausoleum. After 45 minutes of queuing and security checking I had my 30 second walk past the coffin. The preserved body of Ho Chi Minh is dramatically (I may even go so far as to say eerily) lit and is guarded by four soldiers in immaculate white uniforms. While grand in scale the interior feels like the foyer of an office building - but I suppose the veneration of a national icon is a business of sorts. From there I caught a cab to the Museum of Ethnology that the guidebook says is one of the best museums in the country. While the objects are interesting the whole thing could do with a lick of paint - its certainly showing its age. One of the more interesting parts is the "open air museum" where you can wander around examples of houses and tombs of some of the ethnic groups of Vietnam. The Ede long house was my favourite - the epitome of open plan living. From there I returned to the Old Quarter intending to buy tickets for the water puppet show that evening. After a half hour wait I discovered all the shows were sold out and I was lucky even to get one for the following day. The show once I saw it was very sweet and it is quite an amazing sight especially the Dance of the Fairies where 10 puppets are on the move at one time. Other than that I hung out at the backpacker bar at night and chatted to people. Several asked if I was sad to be going home. I wasn't - in fact I was quite looking forward to it. Don't get me wrong I've had an amazing trip as this blog will attest but to use a cliche - all good things must come to an end...