Getting Oriented in Hanoi

Our first full day in Hanoi had three main events: a meeting at the Embassy, a walking tour that included the Temple of Literature and the Ho Chi Min museum, and finally a trip to the lake in the old quarter for dinner.

This entry is mostly pictures with just a little text.

First, the view from my hotel room window:

We eat breakfast in the hotel restaurant on the 14th floor:

It has a commanding view of the city:

After breakfast a short, solo morning walk:

Then we gathered for the trip to the embassy:

No pictures of the embassy visit, of course.

The visit was quite interesting to me.  The political officer is from Salem, Oregon (graduated from South).  He had previously been stationed in Beijing.  He knew Leslie.  He discussed the contrasts between Vietnam and China.  This gave me a very new perspective on the trip and it possibilities.
Others in the Embassy delegation included a gentleman who talked about the environment.  He connected the dots between hydropower construction in Laos, loss of silt in the Mekong delta, reduced rice production in Vietnam, and potential food insecurity in Africa.  Throughout the conversation it became clear how rich a connection PSU has forged with Vietnam, and how important the relationship is between the State of Oregon and Vietnam.  For example, the Oregon National Guard is explicitly partnered with Vietnam.

After the embassy we had a great lunch.  We went upstairs in this very simple restaurant.  There was no menu.  You show up and they feed you what they make.

Well fed, we proceeded to play tourist.

We toured the "Temple of Literature."  This is a university that is over 1,000 years old.  It was where the leaders were trained in the teachings of Confucius.  This site was partially destroyed in the war (I believe the American era), and has been significantly restored.

The names of the graduates were recorded on stone pillars

This symbol of a crane standing on a turtle is found throughout the Temple

At some point in the tour we entered a room where this European tune was being played on traditional Vietnamese instruments:

After this we were met by Thuy, our logistics coordinator, to walk to the Ho Chi Min Museum

The Presidential Palace:

Back at the hotel: