Hanoi, Viet Nam

      We flew from Laos to Hanoi and Vietnam Airways and checked into a hotel about three blocks from the old town, where most of these pictures were taken.  The old town is not too large and is very walk-able, once one learns to dodge the traffic.  During our five days we enjoyed visiting Ho Chi Minh's Mausoleum, The Museum of Vietnamese, the Fine Arts Museum, a jazz club, a concert at the Opera House, the Museum of Ethnology, the Tonkin Gulf (50 miles away), and countless streets and markets.  The food was wonderful!  All in all, we were quite enchanted by Hanoi and would like to see more of Viet Nam some day.  It's far more than just a war-torn country.

Upper Right: The first time we walked the streets of the old town we were scared to death.  Then, we gradually leaned how to navigate the motorbikes and pedestrians.

Left:  We heard quite a bit of music on this trip.  We went to this Hanoi jazz club twice, the National Viet Nam Symphony, and several jazz spots in Bangkok.

Below:  Kay does a little shopping while we are on the 5 hour boat ride just off the shore in Halong in the Tonkin Gulf.

Above:  Christmas shopping in Hanoi.  We saw dozens of shops with seasonal decor.

Far Left:  A farmer's market in the old part of Hanoi.  Yes, we know that a picture like this could be from dozens of countries, from Cameroon to Cambodia and from China to Chile.  Still, we never tire of walking through them to see what people eat.  We found Viet Nam to be a "land of plenty" of consumer goods, quality foods, and, of course, motor bikes.

Left:  For a few cents the lady in the picture will watch your bike or motorbike all day and make sure they are in a neat row.