A slow and stately awakening after a big night. I always say avoid a big drinking night with an Irishman and I keep ignoring my own advice. Liam was very entertaining and kept up his patter all night. We laughed all night long. My sides now hurt and there are a few torn stomach muscles. Another great night.
I have not been to the citadel before so I was very interested. At first the layout is a bit confusing, not helped by several busloads of very excited graduating students. They were full of vim and vigour and were being organised by several young men who were organising groups into photogenic scenes, forming letters and patterns that make good overhead shots.
The citadel itself is replete with history and archeology. It was first built in the 11th century. Since that time it has several iterations with successive emporers rebuilding thier palaces. When the french took over they flattened the place and built thier headquarters on top of the ruins. So now the area is made up of impressive french colonial architeture. These old buildings now hold artifacts and displays from the older times. There is an enormous turtle carved from a huge lump of blue sapphire. It was impressive.
For me I was very impressed with the archeology. The Vietnamese have done the digging with thier usual thouroughness. It is still going on and there are substantial areas surrounded by corro where sqatting workers worry at sunken artifacts with brushes and trowels.
At the rear of the complex in a very understated building, single story and very ordinary was the Hanoi Headquarters of the Vietnamese Army and government during the American War. Here you can take pictures of the politburo table with name tags that renew memories of the time. Le Duc Tho and Ngo van Giap are two of my heros from that time and there are the seats they occupied when it was all happening. There is two offices for Giap and the other general that managed the war ( I can't remember his name at the moment). Under this building was a huge complex that basically repeated the building 9 meters above. There are blast doors made of steel and manhole covers that may conceal further tunnels. The whole effect is evocative and I wondered around in quite a state.
Overall I would have to give the citadel a big tick of approval for tourism. I was suprised to find out it does not even rate a mention in the Lonely Planet! Bad choice chaps. It is definitely very helpful to understand the ancient history of Hanoi and to an extent even the whole of the country. I was struck by the realisation that the citadel and palaces were first built at the same time as the city and temples of Angkor. I wonder about the relationship between the empires of the Kmers and the Vietnamese Han.
We caught a cab back to the old quarter and had a Bun Cha lunch at my favorite resteraunt. I learnt a few more things about managing age while travelling. I think we probably pushed Ernie a bit hard so we needed to give him time to recouperate. Lesson.. only one activity per day. When the client wants the loo don't let him climb 5 flights of stairs to find it.
In the evening we ate at a street resteraunt, I had roast pigeon complete with head and beak. The evening was concluded with a visit to the Irish Wolfhound. Another great night was had.
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