11/13/2017 - Tour of Hanoi

Today we were lucky to get “Lucky”.   The hidden meaning here with what seems a play on words is that “Lucky” was our tour guide on our short tour around the city. Lucky had an abundance of good information he shared to give us our newfound insight on Hanoi. 

Our first stop was the Temple of Confucius. It is dedicated to Confucius, sages and scholars. It was built in 1070 A. D.  
The turtle and the crane represent Yin and Yang - turtle represents long life and crane represents the sky. In Vietnamese culture, the turtle and crane together symbolize enduring power and longevity.  There are two, standing together, representing a healthy long life of happiness.
Confucius in the temple

From here, we went to have some “poison ivy” tea (as described by Lucky) at a local tea house.  Yes, we’re still alive and have no side effects😜.  Lucky explained  there are only 3 types of tea: black tea, green tea and oolong tea. Black tea (Lipton!)is oxidized and can sit all day with no deterioration. Green tea is to be drank within a minute after pouring as it will become bitter the longer the tea steeps.  This explains the small cups.
He explained the water to steep green tea  should be heated to approximately 175 -185 degrees and black tea should be boiling water. The process of making hot tea is very interesting and entails much more information. We recommend going into a tea sight to read more about the “real” making of tea or perhaps purchasing a book to enjoy this ancient custom.
With the history of planting tea for over 2000 years, Vietnam is one of the largest and oldest tea-producing countries in the world. Although the history of Vietnamese tea has not been well recorded as that of the Chinese or Japanese, tea drinking occupies an essential role in Vietnamese culture.

These are roots of the ivy creating the ceiling of the outdoor tea area.

From the tea house we went to the “Hanoi Hilton”, the prison. In reality, the name itself is Norrh Vietnamese propaganda. It was their intention (and not unsuccessful) to make it appear the prisoners were treated well. Pictures they released had prisoners smiling and seemingly happy. The real story is quite different.
In the museum, we saw prisoners in shackles in small, concrete rooms.  They could not lie down because of the shackles. When needing to use the “toilet”, they  had to relieve themselves right there. Many skin infections were encountered. The men and women were kept in separate quarters.
Even if no physical harm occurred (which was rare), having to exist in this environment was torture enough. The walls were all painted black or gray to mentally abuse the prisoners, causing severe depression. In the winter time, it was brutally cold, and the prisoners wore only garments resembling loin cloths.
John McCain revisited the prison in 2000 and clarified many questions about his imprisonment. It was definitely not a “Hilton” experience. Many prisoners attempted to take their lives (yes, including John McCain).