It’s a tad different today in that the fog/smog blankets the view this morning, and the dinginess of a city is highlighted by the dull of the day. Our previous metropolitan views were entirely different, and this one gives a more “traditional” picture of what was in my head, and one which emulates any large, inhabited-for-centuries municipality.
Keeping up with the fast-paced interesting pronunciations of our guide will be the challenge for today. He is a joyful man, eager to share knowledge and question ours, and I’m about two sentences behind in translation! That could also be a product of travel exhaustion, which at some point, catches up with me. “Where did I put my toothbrush? Am I wearing something different today or a recycled classic? Where did I put that keycard?”
Today I am rejoicing in the fact that I threw in a pair of pants at the last minute – thank you, Sister. It will be cooler while we experience Vietnamese culture and thankfully, more humid. Thus, we begin the day with the obligatory visit to the first president’s mausoleum. Yes, if there is a tomb, mausoleum, stupa, sacred burial ground, it is always on the menu – as it should be. To understand the culture you need to understand what is revered.
This world is so utterly multifarious. How wonderful to know who you are in the face of this great diversity. I’m looking forward to new insights, even if the sites are blanketed a bit with the grey of the day.
