A few final shots from my trip to Hanoi

This is a local friend that I met, named Vo. Vo is a student who wants to be a tourguide, and wanted some practice, so agreed to take me around town for a day. Here we were at the Temple of Literature, a Confucian Temple that was Vietnam's first university. Vo was a nice guy. It is insane when you think that had we been born 40 years earlier or so, if we had met, we most likely would've been shooting at each other. I guess that's a sign of hope, isn't it?

A couple of people I was hanging out with - Diego, a Spaniard, and Tyler, a Canadian. We were enjoying the Bia Hoi (or draft beer,) which you can drink on the street for only 2000 Dong (about 12.5 cents US!) for a glass. People sit on plastic chairs on the street, drink and talk, and from time to time a car full of policemen comes around. Everyone scatters, or else moves their chairs back a bit so they are not in the street, the police move on, and everything goes back to normal. Hilarious!

A shot from Bangkok's messed-up new Airport, Suranavuvi International, shortly before I left. It's been a disaster, called a "monument to corruption." One of the runways has large cracks in the pavement, rendering it unusable, and causing the old Airport, Don Muang, to be re-opened. And the new airport only opened in September!

More Snake booze, a shot just for my momma.

Fierce looking face at a Confucian temple.

A statue of a bird at a Confucian Temple.

Carving of an elephant at a replica of an Montagnard house.

This is at Vietnam's Oldest University. It lists the names of graduates in certain years. The Turtle is a symbol of longevity, and is considered a sacred symbol in Vietnam.

Mom, do you think I would've qualified to receive some of this money?

On TV in Vietnam, there were several shows showing young girls singing various songs. It was kind of trippy, really.

The People's Army, on the move. Near Ho's home.

Uncle Ho's Bed.

Another Confucian Temple.

Now who doesn't love Lenin?

A local couple, about to take the plunge.

A replica of a Montagnard house. This particular tribe, whose name I forget, is matrilineal. Therefore, Breasts are a symbol of power, and you can see that on this ladder to the house.

A really big Montagnard house.

A scene near the lake in Central Hanoi.

A tomb of a Montagnard group.

Alongside the tomb. Guess it gets pretty kinky up in the hills!