First thing to do is to go to visit Uncle Ho (Ho Chi Minh). Close off time is 11am but I’m sure the visit will be slow process.
After breakfast on the way, we get the location and follow the arrows to the end of the line. On this day there is a huge line of people, both tourists and locals. It’s quite a process to get to the mausoleum and it’s all very serious. No cameras or bags allowed so you have to leave them in storage. You line up and slowly work your way through while tv screens show footage of the American War. There are white uniformed guards everywhere making sure nobody steps out of line. Caps and sunglasses off, sensible dress including nothing short of trousers for men, no hands in pockets and no overt lightheartedness! The mausoleum is a fairly brutal piece of architecture as these things usually are, but there is beautiful polished marble everywhere. You wind your way up the stairs and around, constantly under the glare of guards, on a plastic red floor cover. Finally you enter the space in the mausoleum where Hi Chi Minh lies. He’s is in a glass sided crypt. The lighting is weak so it’s quite dark but the air conditioning is turned up so it is overly cool. The line moves continuously around three sides of the crypt. He’s looking very pale as you would expect. He has been dead and preserved for 44 years. He even looks plastic or wax like. Still…there he is.
MORE TO COME!
Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum
Ho Chi Minh stilt house and presidential palace
Vietnam military history museum
MORE TO WRITE
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