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Travel Pictures - NORTH VIETNAM - September 2001
All images © Ron Miller


This colorful rooftop view of red tiles and balconies reveals the strong French influence on the city's architecture - Hanoi, North Vietnam


Another view of the rooftops of the old city - Hanoi, North Vietnam


Hanoi is much quieter, greener, and slower-paced than Saigon; these narrow streets only cater to pedestrians, bicycles, and motorbikes - Hanoi, North Vietnam


Ho Chi Minh's mausoleum is where the former dictator's embalmed body is on display in a glass sarcophagus (despite his stated desire to be cremated) - Hanoi, North Vietnam


The Vietnamese revolutionary leader was president of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam from 1946 until his death in 1969. He never saw his dream of reunification between the north and the south (nor did the hundreds of thousands of landlords his "democratic" government had executed, tortured, or starved to death in prison) - Hanoi, North Vietnam


Although the communist dictator's economic policies have long been abandoned, "Uncle Ho" is revered by many Vietnamese and is said to have a god-like status within the communist party - Hanoi, North Vietnam


Just down the street from the mausoleum, the Presidential Palace was completed in 1906 to house the French Governor-General of Indochina - Hanoi, North Vietnam


A troop of Vietnamese soldiers practicing their formations in front of Lenin's statue - Hanoi, North Vietnam


This image strongly contrasts with Vietnam's new economic openness and, hopefully, it will continue to be a mere reflection of the past - Hanoi, North Vietnam


The Hanoi Opera House was completed by the French colonists in 1911 - Hanoi, North Vietnam


This Vietnamese woman looks rather stylish in her traditional Au Di wardrobe as she negotiates the roundabout fronting the Opera House and the Hilton Hanoi Opera Hotel - Hanoi, North Vietnam


For obvious reasons, this structure (completed in 1999) was NOT named the Hanoi Hilton; actually, it was the much older Vietnamese prison located a few blocks away that became famously known as the Hanoi Hilton because of the brutal treatment inflicted upon its American captives - Hanoi, North Vietnam


In the middle of Hanoi is the tranquil Hoan Kiem Lake with the landmark Tortoise Tower located on the islet - Hanoi, North Vietnam


Children returning home from school in the early evening; the people freely strolling about, including women and children, created a feeling of safety and security within the city center - perhaps a positive legacy of the communist dictatorship - Hanoi, North Vietnam


A love of ice cream seems to cross all cultural boundaries - Hanoi, North Vietnam


The streets of Hanoi, lacking the chaos of Saigon, were a pleasure to move about - Hanoi, North Vietnam


Utilizing this method, small women can carry incredible loads nearly equal to their own body weight; the resilient, springy bamboo is thought to minimize the peak impact to the legs and shoulder when walking - Hanoi, North Vietnam


Well, at least both hands are free when utilizing this method - Hanoi, North Vietnam


The vendors in the developing world always seem to move their merchandise out into the sidewalk - Hanoi, North Vietnam


The streets in the old quarter are ideal for bikes; this woman is transporting the infamous durian fruit which is banned from many hotels and public transportation because of its strong odor that some consider fragrant and others repugnant - Hanoi, North Vietnam


Although Hanoi was not as busy as Saigon, eyes in the back of your head would still be useful to cross those streets containing a dozen lanes of traffic many of which travel in opposing directions - Hanoi, North Vietnam


If you look closely, you will see that these two men are transporting two large panes of glass! - Hanoi, North Vietnam


The simple elegance of the One Pillar Pagoda proves that size doesn't always matter - Hanoi, North Vietnam


The entire temple is constructed on a single 1.25-meter-diameter stone pillar. One of the last acts of the departing French in 1954 was to destroy the original structure that was built in 1049 - Hanoi, North Vietnam


Peasants working the fields the hard way just outside the capital city - east of Hanoi, North Vietnam


This “green” Irish tourist, having just arrived in Vietnam, is barraged by peddlers of all ages - Perfume Pagoda (Chua Huong), North Vietnam


Entering into the magnificent karst topography by boat - Perfume Pagoda (Chua Huong), North Vietnam


Most of the boats transporting tourists are rowed by a single, tiny Vietnamese woman. I volunteered to row and, in spite of my whitewater canoeing experience, found it rather difficult to move our tourist-laden boat - especially since the oars are "pushed" rather than "pulled" - Perfume Pagoda (Chua Huong), North Vietnam


The boat carrying the sun-burnt, Irish tourists has both a forward-facing rower and a poler - Perfume Pagoda (Chua Huong), North Vietnam


The red boat, moving to the right, shows that the rower is seated facing forward - opposite to the traditional method - Perfume Pagoda (Chua Huong), North Vietnam


The watery landscape is used to farm and trap fish - Perfume Pagoda (Chua Huong), North Vietnam


Here the nets are being tended by a young woman in a traditional boat - Perfume Pagoda (Chua Huong), North Vietnam


The flat terrain, nestled between the dramatic limestone formations, can be negotiated by land and water - Perfume Pagoda (Chua Huong), North Vietnam


The elbow-length gloves, like the face scarves, are worn for protection from the sun - Perfume Pagoda (Chua Huong), North Vietnam


The watery channels pass between and even through the limestone pinnacles - Perfume Pagoda (Chua Huong), North Vietnam


Vendors paddle along with the tourists and tempt the sun-weary visitors with fresh fruits and cold drinks - Perfume Pagoda (Chua Huong), North Vietnam


Perhaps even more difficult to believe than rowing backwards is rowing with the feet! - Perfume Pagoda (Chua Huong), North Vietnam


This young lady is rowing her traditional craft made of bamboo strips and tar - and using only her feet! - Perfume Pagoda (Chua Huong), North Vietnam


Somehow, with the oars balanced and affixed to the boat, they manage to move swiftly using only their legs and feet - Perfume Pagoda (Chua Huong), North Vietnam


Even today much of the labor - such as this pond excavation - is conducted by hand - Perfume Pagoda (Chua Huong), North Vietnam


These dramatic limestone pinnacles lie just offshore from the mainland; Halong Bay consists of more than 3,000 islands in the Gulf of Tonkin - Halong Bay, North Vietnam


One of the modern boats used to transport tourists amid the spectacular scenery - Halong Bay, North Vietnam


There is not much flat land for farming so most residents make their living from the sea (and from the tourists) - Halong Bay, North Vietnam


There are numerous, picturesque beaches tucked in between the pinnacles - Halong Bay, North Vietnam


Cat Ba Town caters to tourists who visit Cat Ba Island, by far the largest island in Halong Bay - Halong Bay, North Vietnam


A close-up of the tourist hotels and Cat Ba Harbor - Halong Bay, North Vietnam


These traditional boats float in striking contrast to the newly-constructed tourist hotels - Halong Bay, North Vietnam


These traditional boats, constructed of bamboo and tar, are used to eke out a living from the sea - Halong Bay, North Vietnam


This boat appears to double as both fishing vessel and residence - Halong Bay, North Vietnam


The children take on a lot of responsibility while floating around the bay in their tiny watercraft - Halong Bay, North Vietnam


Here they are paddling backwards, again! - Halong Bay, North Vietnam


A traditional boat with the top up! - Halong Bay, North Vietnam


Going for a spin with the top down - Halong Bay, North Vietnam


Halong Bay, North Vietnam


Top view of a traditional boat from the tourist vessel - Halong Bay, North Vietnam


The local fishermen often cruise alongside the tourist boats to sell fresh seafood - Halong Bay, North Vietnam


Quite a variety of sea critters - all tasty and edible according to our Chinese passengers - Halong Bay, North Vietnam


The two tourists (Upper Left) from south China could not pass up the opportunity for fresh seafood - Halong Bay, North Vietnam


Sunset in a magical part of the world - Halong Bay, North Vietnam



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All images © Ron Miller For authorized use of these photos, please contact Ron Miller at TheHappyCannibal@gmail.com