| Hanoi ~ |
| Hanoi was the capital of North Vietnam during the 60's & 70's. The architecture here is definitely different from Saigon. Hanoi is filled with French-style buildings, narrow streets and just about as many motorbikes as in Saigon, all trying to wedge their way through the city. |
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| While in Hanoi, everyone was gearing up for the Tet Festival, which is the equivalent of the West's New Year. During this time everyone purchases a small tangerine tree, and decorates their house with brightly colored ornaments. It is also very similar to Christmas, in which relatives travel far distances to be together, and enjoy a huge feast in the company of their loved ones. |
| Another similarity to the Western holiday of Christmas is that almost every business closes down. The only difference is that in Vietnam, the businesses prefer to stay closed for a whole week. Which can be a real pain to the weary traveler, who simply wants to check on airline tickets or get a bite to eat!! |
| A nice irony to the closure of most of the businesses in the city, was that the streets were stunningly empty the morning after a large fireworks display at midnight. I was able to tour the cities streets at leisure, and saw many of the historical sites with little hassle. Such as St. Joseph's Catherdral (pictured to the left). |