The north of Vietnam has mist shrouded mountains with a patchwork of brilliant green rice paddies ( fields) and beautiful dramatic coastlines and beaches, historic towns and sleepy villages. The people Re exceptionally hospitable. The weather is diverse, with several micro climates and conflicting monsoon patterns affecting levels of sunshine, heat and rain. The north, central regions and the south all have different weather patterns. The north and south are are mostly wet and hot and humid in our summertime. And the central regions being hot and dry then. During our winter the central regions are monsoonall with typhoons on occaision whilst the north will be cold and rainy, the south will be warm and dry. Generally speaking the north is generally colder which in cities such as Hanoi is due to the effects of pollution.

Hanoi

In the north the city of Hanoi with its facade of faded French villas, grandiose lakes such as Hoam Kiem Lake and tree lined roads it also has a rabbit warren of streets with street vendors selling everything from fruit to shoes to ironmongery, in fact I doubt there is anything you cannot buy in Hanoi. The streets in the old town each sell specific items and are thus called ‘ shoe street’ ‘ flower street’ etc

In the midst of street vendors , age old temples and traditional medicine there are a multitude of motor bikes, cyclos and motor scooters who do not seem to recognise the need of use of traffic lights, roundabouts, which side of the road to drive or intact even to keep to one side for more than a few seconds. Pedestrians appear. To close their eyes and slowly walk across the road hoping vehicles will drive around them and in my experience this is exactly what happens but it all adds to the charm of this delightful city.

Ho Chi Minh’s imposing mausoleum stands close to The Presidential Palace a former residence of French governors which is now used to receive foreign dignitaries . In order to be as one of the people Ho Chi Minh refused to live in this palatial property preceding a small modest house. The mausoleum contains the remains of Ho Chi Minh in a glass coffin for public viewing. In order to keep the body from further decay it is taken to Russia every year for chemical maintenance. The body is only available for viewing in the mornings after which it is lowered into the vaults where it is kept in conditions appropriate to maintaining its condition. The mausoleum is set in beautiful gardens in which the modest home of Ho Chi Minh sits as well as the stilt house he occupied overlooking the lake.

Other places of interest are The Temple of Literature – Vietnams first university, The Army Museum, The Fine Arts Museum and Hoa Lo prison and museum otherwise known as the Hanoi Hilton or one of the water puppetry exhibitions