Yes, I liked it! It’s the first time I really feel this in Vietnam. Big city, agitated but in an energetic, positive way, cleanest so far, with lots of young people, modern nightlife…a real capital!

As soon as we arrived we met a couple of French friends we’ve known in Hue. We had traditional Vietnamese barbeque in the street and experienced some of the local bars together. It was a very fun late night!

The following day we wanted to visit Ho Chi Minh mausoleum, but it was already closed by the time we arrived (10.30 am). We visited the museum instead. It is unexpectedly modern and the entrance is free – a full building dedicated to the most loved Vietnamese national hero. Beside a great representation of the political, economic, artistic and military context in which “Uncle Ho” lived, we saw his clothes, guns, signed papers, presents received from other presidents and his testament. Yes, learning more about history is good!

Hanoi Citadel, built as a residence for the Vietnamese king, was mostly destroyed by the French during the colonization period. However, there are still some buildings or ruins described on the UNESCO Heritage list as “Central Sector of the Imperial Citadel of Thang Long Hanoi”. While visiting it we’ve met students celebrating the end of their high school, dressed nicely while taking photos or dancing in the citadel’s gardens. It made us feel teenagers again.

But one of the things that impressed me were the funeral cars – they are covered by colorful flowers in a joyful way. It seems that in this part of Vietnam funerals are a reason to party; people do not cry and are not sad, but bring music and dance all night long as they want the dead person to be happy when he/ she joins the “other world”. Isn’t this cool?

We certainly enjoyed the city with everything it had to offer, including hairdressers/ hair stylists. Ha ha! My hair was already too long and it had no form any more so I had the courage to leave my head in a Vietnamese “hair stylist” hands. The result? I will let you judge by yourself from the following pictures/ posts.