Yesterday, we went to the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum in Hanoi, Vietnam. We got there in the morning because the mausoleum is closed in the afternoon. When we first got there we were so surprised at how big the lineup was, it took up more than 2 blocks! But we decided to go for it and wait in line. Luckily, the line moved very fast and within half an hour we were at the front of the line. The park where the mausoleum was was very pretty and had nice greenery all around. There was no photography allowed in the park but everyone was taking pictures so Cleo snuck a pic of the mausoleum for you, it is pic 5. All around the mausoleum are guards in formal white uniforms, the ones at the door of the mausoleum and inside the mausoleum even had guns. Before we went in, I did not know anything about the inside of the mausoleum except that in a glass case was Ho Chi Minh’s actual body. When we went in everything was silent so I decided to keep quiet too. Ho Chi Minh was lying with eyes closed in a glass case that was dimly lit with a candle glow. To keep the line moving, you only were allowed 1 minute to walk by Ho Chi Minh. Picture 4 is not him in the mausoleum, that is a statue of him in the Ho Chi Minh Museum. The picture below shows a tea set given to Ho by Russia, he was given many other gifts from other countries like Egypt or China. Picture 2 shows a wax Ho Chi Minh at his actual typewriter. Picture 3 shows Ho Chi Minh’s actual clothes, shoes, hat, and exercising equipment (apparently he loved to exercise). Here is the short version of Ho Chi Minh’s life. Ho Chi Minh (at the time, Nguyen Ai Quoc) grew up in a small village with his parents called Kim Lien. He had a simple life working on a farm and exercised whenever he could. He led the movement for Vietnamese independence from the French in the 1940’s. He led the communist government in the north, the south at that time was capitalist and did not want to become communist but the north wanted them to become communist so that they could be united. A civil war broke out and the US gave money to the south because they were capitalist and so was the US, the US wanted the whole world to become capitalist. The south was still losing the fight so eventually the US sent their own troops to fight the communist government in the north of Vietnam. In the end, the north won and the whole country became communist. But the US troops did not leave until after Ho Chi Minh had died in 1969.

P.S. By chance, while we are here the Summit between Donald Trump and Kim Jong is happening and there is signs everywhere and paparazzi. I was on Korean TV and Cleo was on Taiwan TV.📺😀