January 13, 2003 - page 2

Our next stop was not nearly so pleasant, but was enlightening. Hoa Lo Prison has a long and torturous history. What I don’t understand is why the Vietnamese revolted against French torture and then turned around and did the same thing to their enemies, including Americans such as John McCain. But, of course, officially American POWs were treated well and no revenge was taken for their “war of aggression.” Excuse me if I find that hard to believe.

Tonight, to balance out the snake lunch, several of us opted for a nice meal at a French restaurant. Our guide, Phiem, recommended one that served as a culinary school for underprivileged Vietnamese youth. It was absolutely fantastic. The waitresses were wonderful and the food hit the spot (the angry one that had been developing in my belly since lunch). I went back to the Guoman so happy and raring to go to the Water Puppet Show.

The show was enjoyable, despite the large German tourist blocking my view. To do such acrobatic things with those beautiful puppets in the water without being able to really see them took true skill. I was thoroughly impressed.