Around Hanoi

     This morning we walked a loop that must covered half the city.  First around the lake, then past the army museum and flag tower, to the mausoleum, to the botanical gardens, West Lake and the pagoda there, around the Truc Bach Lake, toward the market, to lunch, and then home.
     The place to see Ho Chi Minh closes at 11 and we were a little worried that we wouldn't make it but had time to spare.  From the outside it was a squareish stone building with steps covered in red sticky mats leading up to it, with white-uniformed guards standing outside.  Apparently Ho Chi Minh wanted to be cremated in the traditional Vietnamese fashion but against his wishes was embalmed after his death and is now in this stone building.  The casket was glass-topped wood, carved beautifully, in the center of a medium room with a walkway around three sides filled with a slow-moving procession of people.  
     From here we went past the French presidential palace, to the garage where Ho Chi Minh kept his cars and the stilt house where he supposedly lived at the end of his life.  The house and furniture was made out of a dark wood.  On the ground was a table and chairs then in the house part of the house there were two rooms that we could see into, one a study and the other a bedroom.  Both were pretty spartan.  The bed didn't even have a mattress, only a woven mat.
     At the botanical gardens we stopped in the cafe for coconuts.
     At West Lake  there were restaurant boats that looked ready to sink but apparently were still doing business as well as a pagoda that claims to be the oldest temple.  It was crowded on the bridge to the temple and at the temple.  There was a demonstration here, and we caught the end of a dance, a song, and a second dance.
      Things are still closed for the holidays and the market was shuttered up, but it was fun walking through the non-touristy parts of Hanoi to get there.  For lunch we planned to walk most of the way home from the market to there area of a lot of food stalls that we ate at our first night here but stopped earlier at a restaurant that advertised selling vegetarian food.  I think this was wise, because it meant that I got some protein (tofu) rather than the dubiously healthy meat substitutes at a stand.
     This evening we played a round of hearts again for the first time in a while.  I lost.  
     The water puppet theater was sold out today but we got tickets for tomorrow and walked to the Quán An Ngon restaurant.  There were few veggie options so we moved on to a well-reviewed place called the Hanoi Social Club.  Food was good an the atmosphere Olympia-ish but I think it was only well-reviewed because the menu was in English and the food was western.