Still in Hanoi…
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We’re still kicking around in Hanoi, taking our time to enjoy this city of ancient trees and decaying old French frescoed buildings amongst pagodas and rice paddies.
We visited the Museum of Ethnology today – a worthwhile venture, as it explains the housing, traditions, ceremonies, religious beliefs and dress of the 54 different ethnic minorities in Vietnam. We were intrigued by the different houses – many of which there were examples of on the property. There was everything from long houses to stilt houses to mud/brick houses to community gathering houses with 30m high thatched roofs.
One of the most unique houses was the funeral house of one ethnic group that was used to house the body of the deceased and all the worldly possessions they would need in the afterlife, surrounded by graphic wood carvings of how life would go on – essentially big wood sculptures of men and women in various sex acts. It just isn’t something we really associate with funerals in North America – “Oh well, they’re gone, let’s get busy replacing them.” – is what the funeral ceremony seemed to be all about. Very funky.
We were a little surprised at how primitive several of the ethnic groups still seemed to be, in comparison to the Incas in South America and the Khmer in Angkor. The level handicraft artistry of many of the ethnic groups in no way approached the skill and refinement of these other civilizations. The ethnic groups here certainly are efficient hunter/gatherer and rice farmers, but the craftsmanship of their textiles and architecture do not compare to that of the Incas and the Khmer.
We have been taking cabs to some destinations, if they are far away and we legitimately fear the possibility of sun stroke on the back of a motto scooter. Today we were driven in circles by a sly driver who tried to pull one over on us Westerners. He was shocked and upset to learn that we had been following our route on a map and caught him cheating some extra fare out of us… it pays to be on your toes as a passenger.
After a morning excursion, the heat of the day sends us indoors – we’ve learned from the locals… Their daily life happens on the street here, whether it’s napping in a hammock tied between two trees on the sidewalks, old men sharing opium pipes on the curb, a family cooking supper for themselves and anyone who cares to pull up a plastic stool and pay a minimal fee to partake in the offerings, cooks bleeding chickens into the gutters, or joining the throngs of moto scooters in the endless traffic and cacophony of horns that is the background noise to daily life here. It’s not an easy place to relax, but it is a cultural experience that expands your horizons, your tolerance and exercises your sense of humor. This trip has helped us gain a better understanding of how fortunate we are in North America.
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