Hanoi, Vietnam: 10th November

We spent today visiting various sites around Hanoi including the Ethnology Museum, which explains the different tribes that live around Vietnam. The fertility statues were particularly amusing, but aren’t they always? The museum was really well done - in the grounds they’ve built replicas of the various tribes’ houses. Hopefully we’ll see the real thing when we visit Sa Pa in a few days.

We also visited the mausoleum of Ho Chi Minh, although we couldn’t see his body as it’s away for its annual 2 month’s maintenance.

After a brief stop at the One Pillar Pagoda, one of the most famous symbols of Hanoi, we went to see a water puppetry show. The puppeteers all hide behind a screen and the puppets are controlled from long poles hidden under water. It dates back to the 11th century and was really cool!