In Prison

But not locked up thank God. Visited Hoa Lo prison where the French for 60 years brutalised the Vietnamese resistance and where during the 60's American airmen were locked up: "the Hanoi Hilton" as they called it. John McCain was one of those held there and revisited the site in 2000. Strange how these events have come to be viewed. In Vietnam these airmen bombed Hanoi from B52's, indiscriminate terror bombing, designed to weaken resistance and causing enormous tragedy on the ground and yet there seems no bitterness here. Clearly from the attached quotation the airmen themselves felt badly abpout what they were doing.



All over the city there are people trying to get by with terrible deformities, the effects of the dioxins in Agent Orange that the US dropped on the forests. Will we ever learn or continue to make the same dreadful mistakes? Perhaps McCain would have a more enlightened view on the use of the American military after his experiences here?

Also visited the Catholic cathedral,10% of the country is Catholic, a French hangover, but not in my mind the best they left behind, that would be the coffee which is just brilliant.

Did some shopping and booked some tours for the next 3 days. Will be out of contact for 48 hours but hope the report will do justice to Halong Bay.

By the way, finally sorted out the flash drive so have added some pictures to earlier posts.