Hanoi

Last day of our Gate 1 tour. Today, I went on an optional tour to the Thay Pagoda and to a Vietnamese village, about 18 miles (30 kilometers) from Hanoi. On the bus, we passed the modern part of Hanoi with high–rise buildings.

Hanoi

We also passed by the old French colonial buildings of Hanoi.

Hanoi

Another French colonial building.

Hanoi

And we also passed by the old part of Hanoi in which you see vendors on the street.

Hanoi

Farther away from the city we could see the Hanoi skyline.

Hanoi

Another part of the Hanoi skyline.

Sai Son Village

We walked through Sai Son Village where the Thay Pagoda is located.

Thay Pagoda

The Thay Pagoda was founded during the reign of King Ly Nhan Tong (1070–1127). Thay Pagoda is translated to mean “Master’s Pagoda.” The master was the monk Tu Dao Hanh, who is believed to have performed miracles. The Thay Pagoda is also known as the Thien Phuc Pagoda and is dedicated to the Thich Ca Buddha, Sakayamuni, and 18 Arhats, perfected persons who have “gained insight into the true nature of existence and have achieved nirvana,” all of which I do not claim to understand. The pagoda is on a hillside on different levels with open doors.

Thay Pagoda

There are almost a 100 statues at the Thay Pagoda, some or all made from papier mache and clay, as this guardian is.

Thay Pagoda

In Long Tri Pond, which the pagoda faces, is a stage for water puppet shows, built in 1602.

Thay Pagoda

On one side of the pond are beautiful houses.

Sai Son Village

After visiting the pagoda, we walked through Sai Son Village, where food vendors were selling meat, fish, poultry, and vegetables along the river bank. This vendor is selling chickens.

I have put my photos of the Thay Pagoda and Sai Son Village on a slide show.  Go to Slide Shows, Asia, Vietnam–2, “Near Hanoi: Thay Pagoda, Day 12(A)” or directly to

http://www.peggysphotos.com/near–hani–thay–pagoda–day–12a/

Vietnam Village

From Sai Son Village, we drove to another nearby village, of which I do not know the name. The layout of the town, with its houses located inside the walls, very much reminded me of the hutongs in Beijing, in which you go through a gate in a wall to enter a courtyard in which there is a complex of buildings and houses owned and lived in by an extended family. Photo: walking down a street in the village.

Vietnam Village

Many village children came out to greet us.

Vietnam Village

We got to go inside two homes in the village. Photo: Inside one of the homes.

I have put my photos of the Vietnam village on a slide show. Go to Slide Shows, Asia, Vietnam–2, “Near Hanoi: “Vietnam Village, Day 12(B)” or directly to

http://www.peggysphotos.com/near–hanoi–vietnam–village–day–12b/

Hanoi

We drove back to Hanoi for lunch. Photo: the restaurant where we ate.

Hanoi

Our luncheon menu: pumpkin soup (definitely not my favorite soup), spring rolls with shrimp, stir fried chicken with cashews and lemongrass, stewed fish in a clay pot, stir fried vegetables, rice, and desert (I do not remember what it was but probably oranges). All very tasty but I didn’t have the soup or the fish.

Hanoi

Other dishes that this restaurant served: fried frog legs with lemon/orange sauce.

Hanoi

Grilled square fish.

Hanoi

Eels soup.

Hanoi

Before I left for my trip, I had read an article about the fake Apple stores in China. Right outside our restaurant, there were two of them a couple of stores apart. The first one.

Hanoi

The second one.

Hanoi

We drove back to our hotel, which had a jazz bar. Photo: On display at the jazz bar.

Hanoi

Photo of Louis Armstrong on the wall.

Hanoi

Artwork.

Hanoi

We had a farewell dinner tonight. Most of us were flying home tomorrow. I wished I had stayed an additional day in Hanoi to see more of its sights, but I also was glad that I hadn’t as I was very tired. Tomorrow would make 24 days of travel for me. It was a great tour by Gate 1 and we had a truly great tour director, Tho, to take us around Vietnam. I also very much enjoyed my tourmates. I am glad that I spent extra time in Southeast Asia in Singapore, Malaysia, and Cambodia, even though I didn’t do too well with the heat and humidity, especially in Cambodia and South Vietnam.

The next day, I flew from Hanoi to Bangkok on Thai International, with a 5–hour layover in Bangkok. I spent most of my time at the airport walking through the mile–long shopping mall but didn’t buy anything. I also had a very nice conversation with a couple from Taiwan who had just visited Bhutan. Then I flew from Bangkok directly to Los Angeles, again on Thai International. All passengers were patted down before boarding the plane. I didn’t enjoy my seatmate, who promptly fell asleep and then decided she had to go to the restroom when drinks were just served and then again when the meal was served. This ended up with the steward helping me to remove my meal tray, which didn’t prevent a glass of wine breaking on the floor (I was surprised that the airline was using glass instead of plastic to serve drinks). So my seatmate decided that she would climb over me instead of asking me to get up, which was okay the first three times but on the fourth time she stomped on my feet. She gave up after that and behaved herself. The meal on the Hanoi to Bangkok leg was good but the food was poor trans–Pacific Ocean. Also, the individual entertainment screens did not work. I would not fly on Thai International again if I can avoid doing so.

Back to LA, back to sunshine, spring–like weather, and  no humidity––heaven!