Ho Chi Minh was dead. The combination of chemicals and lighting gave the impression Uncle Ho decided to take an afternoon nap. The former president of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam was on display in an ornate glass casket, his head nestled peacefully in a pillow, his hands resting comfortably on his lap. Someone just needed to shake him awake. You almost expected him to roll over and wave. This was perhaps the best way to familiarize with Hanoi.
Sunday marked the official kick off of the 2010 APRISE Vietnam and Malaysia Study Tour. Everyone arrived, settled and mostly acclimated to the time zone. None of us were really free of the effects of transcontinental travel. Our day was planned with various stops at important cultural landmarks, the first being the mausoleum of Ho Chi Minh.

Led by our guide, Tuan, we lined up outside a security checkpoint. We weren’t allowed to carry cameras, cell phones or backpacks. Once through the metal detector, our things thoroughly inspected, we were directed to the main line into the mausoleum. Hundreds of people already gathered for the chance to see the interred body. No one spoke. Guards in full military regalia supervised us as we slowly marched towards the entrance. The line snaked around the viewing room where the body was laid to rest. The Soviet sickle and hammer along with the Vietnamese star adorned the wall behind the transparent casket. Ho Chi Minh was illuminated in an ethereal light, his skin otherworldly white. A strange unease lingered in the room under the watchful gaze of the guards. We nervously observed the body and allowed the line to push us towards the exit. There was no time to reflect on what we saw until we were outside again.
Our excursion wrapped up at Hoan Kiem Lake in the French Quarter where we all climbed into cyclos, or bicycle rickshaws, for a leisurely tour through the tiny streets of Hanoi. The area is known for its 36 streets and 36 wares – each street is devoted to a different product. Back alley shops and tiny road-side noodle cafes slowly passed as we made our way around the old quarter. Buses and motorbikes brushed dangerously close to our human-powered vehicles, but we all returned to the hotel unscathed.
Great account of the experience, and wonderful details!!
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