Leaving Hanoi

It's been a welcome comfort to be in a city for the last week.  Public washrooms, shopping malls, diversity of food.  It's been a real treat and we've been pretty much blowing our budget every day.

The day before last we went to the Fine Art Museum which was really nice.  It was three floors of Vietnamese fine art from 10,000 years ago, up through the various wars, and into the modern era. There were some really nice pieces and it was especially nice to leave the chaos of the streets behind for the serenity and pace of the gallery.

Ancient Head in Fine Art Museum

Fine Art Museum, Hanoi

Fine Art Museum, Third Floor, Hanoi

After the museum, we stopped for lunch at a nice bistro.  On the menu was a lentil salad on lettuce with slightly roasted cubes of pumpkin, all served with a light balsamic drizzle.  Robyn had grilled chicken on a salad with fresh tomatoes, sliced mangoes, and a Dijon mustard vinaigrette.  For dessert was a poached pear in a red wine reduction served with creme fraiche and mango slices.  Delicious.

Site of Ho Chi Minh's Embalmed Corpse, Hanoi

 Our time here has been spent wandering the streets, at once soaking in the culture and avoiding rogue scooters.  This is one of the few places we've been where we haven't been catered to as tourists the entire time.  The shops along the streets are frequented by the locals and, unlike the poorer regions we've visited, all of the restaurants are patronized by both locals and foreigners.  This includes everything from street noodle stalls to high-end Japanese restaurants. 


Last night we watched an aerobics class take place in a city center.  I decided to join in and see what the fuss was all about:

.  It was about as invigorating as it looked.

View out over one of the many inner-city lakes, Hanoi

 Alright, I've got to eat up and jump on the bus to Cat Ba. 

David