Searching for a former clarity

Hanoi, Vietnam. Day three.

So far, we have done several things, in several places. Two days ago, we went to the army museum, had a stroll past the Ho Chi Minh mausoleum, got double-scammed in a taxi trip to a closed museum. Following that, we went on a night time rain time walk through the Old Quarters of Hanoi.

Yesterday, we put our walking shoes on, and went on an expedition. First to a nearby temple in a lake, and then on to Hoa Lo prison, followed by the Vietnamese Museum of Fine Arts, the Literature Temple and then, once more, to the Ho Chi Minh mausoleum, to try and find a way to get inside. Spoiler alert: we didn’t, but we did see the One Pillar Pagoda. After that, we went back home, having walked at least 10 kilometers.

We’ve also gone from slowly and scaredly crossing the streets to basically flinging ourselves into traffic, following the advice I was given by my cousin before leaving Sweden. So it seems as if I’m getting used to the chaos after all.

Now, one of the most interesting things about the museums we’ve visited, especially the Army Museum and the Hoa Lo prison, is that it is the story of a post-colonial people told by themselves. I was also surprised at just how long the colonial reign of France lasted, and how close to the modern time it took place. And while I’m sure there’s a degree of propagandism in the stories the museums tell, it is still a very interesting story to follow. As a companion piece, the fine arts museum was also interesting, showing just how deeply the struggle against the colonial powers (and later, the U.S.) affected the cultural life through the years. I might  come back to this topic later, as I’m still struggling with how to juggle my thoughts on the subject.

I have also affirmed my fondness of the brutalistic architecture style, and large monuments on a whole. And visiting the visually impressive mausoleum might have made me want to reinstall Minecraft and build a replica, similar to that time a few of us built a life-size Chichen Itza. Looking forward to seeing if, for example, Angkor Wat will give me a similar reaction. Because, after all, I am the most horrible nerd.