George lived a long, full life - he was in his mid-nineties. We were always impressed with how with-it and tech-savvy he was. He was the first person I know to buy, install and use a webcam way back when they first came on the market. He used it to keep in touch with his three daughters and all the grandchildren. He had a gentle but dry sense of humour and treated my Mom like a queen. We leave Hanoi tonight for Laos with heavy hearts.
Some photos of Hanoi . . . this woman is wearing the trademark conical hat seen everywhere. She has lit a fire in the street and we're not sure if it's because there's no garbage pick-up or if it might be a Buddhist ceremony. We ask some locals but in our broken communication, we aren't sure of the answer:
We all enjoyed the famous water puppet theatre. The stage is a shallow tank full of murky water so you can't see the operation of the puppets. Puppeteers work from behind a bamboo screen. The musicians and narrator sit off to the side of the stage. We had front row seats and a couple of times, during the more lively numbers, we got splashed. If you ever come to Hanoi, don't miss this:
At the end of the performance, the puppeteers come out to take a bow:
The Temple of Literature - an example of classic Vietnamese architecture. This Temple is Vietnam's most famous former university. It was known for its extremely high standards and concentrated on teaching literature, Buddhism and Confucianism:
Huge statue of Confucius himself:
Benni (our Brazilian buddy) and the Jets. We shared a couple of meals with him - we are so impressed with all these multi-lingual travellers we meet along the way who speak perfect English. Ciao, ciao Benni!
Vietnam is gearing up for Tet (the Lunar New Year which falls on Feb. 14th this year). This flower display, when completed, spells out Happy New Year! in Vietnamese:
Motorcycle mania all the time in Hnaoi - notice the Tet decorations in the background - red and gold party supplies are being hawked everywhere:
Sidewalks are not for pedestrian use in Hanoi, they function as parking lots for all the bikes, hence the need to walk on the road all the time:
And it's not just motorcycles that hog the sidewalks. There's all the wares for sale and the locals sitting on plastic preschool chairs eating their lunch and sipping their tea:
We're constantly amazed by the amount of stuff the Vietnamese people can cram onto the back of a bike:
Vietnam's flag:
Rising Sun Bridge spanning Hoan Kiem Lake in the Old Quarter of Hanoi. If you see a turtle (very special animal to the Vietnamese) in this lake, that's supposed to bring you good fortune:
A wedding couple makes their way to a nice spot near the lake for photos:
Maybe Ted has missed his calling as a wedding photographer. We have seen many brides here, some wearing white and some in red:
I'll sign off now with a quote from Confucius that sums up George in every way:
"To be able under all circumstances to practice five things constitutes perfect virtue; these five things are gravity, generosity of soul, sincerity, earnestness and kindness. "
Confucius
Chinese philosopher & reformer (551 BC - 479 BC)
