Hanoi, Cu Chi and an AK 47

I write this in our hotel in Hanoi, a few thousand kilometres from where we started in Ho Chi Minh City only a day or so ago. Since I wrote, we have visited several places around the city, seen a temple and the Viet Cong tunnels and even fired an AK47. Following lunch after writing my first post, Ilona and I went for a walking tour of the city, helped along by two rickshaws. Our first destination was the War Remnants Museum, a collection of old American hardware and numerous images of war and a few scale models of POW cells. We then decided to try our luck and walk through district 5, hoping to find some food and then a way back to our hotel in district 1. On the long way round we saw a Pagoda and an interesting view of the city. An incredible traffic jam which seemed to have all the traffic moving at the same time, yet in different directions. It sounds crazy, but it works quite well- everything flows, just really really slowly. I was shocked today when our cab driver went 80 on the road, it seemed so fast. After the traffic jam, we saw a little of the municipal park before having tea and a night out frequenting the various nightspots throughout the backpackers area.
The following morning it was an early rise, with our tour bus for the day leaving at 8 15. It didnt end up leaving until 8 30, but that did not stop us from trying to eat breakfast as fast as possible in order to not be late. The Cao Daoi temple was 3 hours away by coach- only 110 kms, but by the speed that transport in Vietnam goes, the 3 hours was well needed. The temple was amazing, decorated with dragons and filled with a riot of colour. We arrived just before the midday prayers and saw the temple fill with worshippers and all pray. The religion is apparently a hybird of 3 of the regions religions, Confuscionism, Taoism and Buddism.
We only had a short time at the temple, as the major part of our tour was still to come: the Cu Chi tunnels. We saw Vietcong traps, hiding holes and even got to crawl through a tunnel underground. I thought the tunnel was small and cramped, but apparently it had been widened for tourists. The highlight of the tour was went we were allowed to fire some of the old weapons from the war. At $1 US a bullet, it is expensive but so much fun. Those guns are so loud- the earmuffs seemed to do nothing to stop the crack of the rifle. After the tour was over, it was an hour long bus trip into the city again and back to bed early- we were both exhausted.
Today was more of a travelling day. After having breakfast and packing and checking out, we got to the airport and flew to Hanoi. Hanoi is very different to Ho Chi Minh, with strong French influences in its architecture and feel. The city was shrouded under a blanket of cloud when we flew in, and has been ever since. It is even about 20 degrees cooler here than in Ho Chi Minh, and I have felt the need to buy some more jackets and pants- for really cheap. Tonight Ilona and I will be seeing some markets close to our hotel that are only open weekends, so that should be good. Tomorrow we start toward Ha Long Bay and our stay on the boat, which is something I cant wait for.