Prisons and Pastries

I was in such a rush last bloggingtons I forgot to specify what had made Adilady happy...I guess it's an easy one to call. I met some great people in Cat Ba, had lots of laughs and plenty of beeros; it kinda took my mind off my train wreck personals:D

Anyway I spent Saturday chilling out with Mel in Hanoi. First stop was Hoa Lo Prison Museum. Built by the French in Colonial times and a working prison until after the war (the one with the yanks, there has been so many in the Vietnamese bloody history and I believe they have triumphed in every single one!)

This is John McCain's flying suit...

And a begging letter carried by all US pilots asking to be treated as a political prisoner if caught.

John McCain being treated in prison hospital...

And a translation of HCM's message to crush those Yankee bastards.

French guillotine, the second one I've seen in the same number of weeks.

Prison gardens with eerie art installation.

This bloggage was supposed to be entitled 'prisons and puppets' but unfortunately the  water puppet show had sold out so instead we went in search of street food, Bang Goi near St Joseph's Cathedral. To you and me that means deep fried pasty a la Glaswegian styley. Very, very tasty but Adilady ate far too many, felt sick and developed a severe case of fartage on the over night train to Dong Hoi.

St Joseph's Cathedral.

So I showered at Mel's hotel and hopped on an 11 hour train trip to go and see some caves.

What made Adilady happy? Well Mel was lovely and I met some Australians on the train who were from the same town as cousin Kerrilee. Small world! They gave me their number so I will try and see them. They fed me wine and chocolate, two things that hadn't past my lips since leaving blighty. Lots of love and Skypage difficult at the moment due to shared, crampoed dorms. Next installment will be about the caves, over and out xxxx