March 31, 2018 - We took a walk, after several loads of laundry, around the Old Quarter in Hanoi. We found this city very surprising. One of the reasons for this was the French designed the Hanoi downtown to look like a French town. Thus you see wide boulevards, nice sidewalks, and beautiful parks.
Vietnam was colonized by the French before the war with us. After they threw off that yoke and the war with the US ended, they started to rapidly rebuild.
Despite the heavy bombing much of the charming French colonial era buildings remain. So you have this odd mixture of French influence and proud Vietnamese heritage. Big tree lined streets and small alleys filled with Pho and noodle shops. It’s really quite beautiful.
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