Ein australisches Paerchen, das wir trafen, meinte, dass wenn man die beiden Staedte Hanoi und Saigon mit australischen Staedten vergleicht, waere Saigon wie Sydney und Hanoi wie Melbourne. Hanoi ist gelassener, traditioneller und man fuehlt noch etwas denn Hauch des alten Asiens. Wir machten einen Abstecher im "Hanoi Hilton", dem Gefaegnis, in dem einst vietnamsische Gefangene von franzoesischen Kolonialherren eingekerkert wurden, um spaeter von den Vietnamesen gefangen genommene GI's zu beherrbergen. Wenn man den Ausfuehrungen im Museum Glauben schenkt, wurden die Amerikaner im Gefaengnis so gut behandelt, dass sie gar nicht mehr gehen wollten. Spaeter zollten wir Ho Chi Minh Tribut mit einem Besuch im pompoesen Mausoleum, wo er bis heute aufgebart wird (uebrigens gegen seinen Wunsch). Am besten gefiel es uns aber, bei einem kuehlen Bia Hoi im Strassencafe zusammen mit Studenten, Backpackers und Hong Kong Express Piloten dem irren Verkehr zuzuschauen.
An Australian couple that we met said if you compare the cities Hanoi and Saigon with Australian cities, Saigon would be Sidney and Hanoi would be Melbourne. Hanoi is more relaxed, traditional and you can get a bit of the atmosphere of the Asia from the old days. We made a walk to the "Hanoi Hilton", the prison where once Vietnamese prisoners were kept by the French colonialists and where later the Vietnamese put the American soldiers they had captured. If you believe the information on display in the museum, you come to the conclusion that the Americans were treated so well while in prison that they never wanted to leave again. After we paid tribute to Ho Chi Minh with a visit to his pompous mausoleum where he lies in state till today (against his wishes by the way). What we liked best though was to have a cool Bia Hoi in one of the street cafes together with students, backpackers and Hong Kong Express pilots and watch the mad traffic.
An Australian couple that we met said if you compare the cities Hanoi and Saigon with Australian cities, Saigon would be Sidney and Hanoi would be Melbourne. Hanoi is more relaxed, traditional and you can get a bit of the atmosphere of the Asia from the old days. We made a walk to the "Hanoi Hilton", the prison where once Vietnamese prisoners were kept by the French colonialists and where later the Vietnamese put the American soldiers they had captured. If you believe the information on display in the museum, you come to the conclusion that the Americans were treated so well while in prison that they never wanted to leave again. After we paid tribute to Ho Chi Minh with a visit to his pompous mausoleum where he lies in state till today (against his wishes by the way). What we liked best though was to have a cool Bia Hoi in one of the street cafes together with students, backpackers and Hong Kong Express pilots and watch the mad traffic.
