Ho Chi Mihn’s Body

This posting was actually written on 8 July 2011. For a variety of reasons, it was not posted while in Vietnam.

Today we went to the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, where the leader’s body continues to be resting in a glass coffin, allowing visitors to see him and pay their respects. He was dressed in faded khaki clothing and plain rubber shoes, demonstrating his dedication to the Vietnamese people.

It was interesting to visit the Mausoleum, specifically due to the formality involved. We were required to turn over our cameras and leave bottled water outside of the building. Then, we went through a metal detector and followed a carpeted pathway lined with military personnel wearing full dress uniforms. Upon entering the building, we were given even more detailed instructions-taking off sun glass, placing our arms straight at our sides, removing hats, not speaking, and moving at a speedy pace.

After visiting the Mausoleum, we also had a chance to visit the Ho Chi Minh Museum and the One Pillar Pagoda, both of which were incredibly interesting.

After visiting the museum exhibits I was standing in the lobby and ended up in a conversation with a large group of women. The women were from many hours outside of Hanoi and woke up very early to visit the area. Most of the women were in their 70s, although one woman was 94. They continuously touched me-my face and hands, but mostly my upper arms. Although I do not speak Vietnamese, our tour guide help explain what they were saying; they were saying how big, strong, and healthy I look. These women were particularly small statured, so I can only imagine how surprisingly enormous I appeared to them, and I was surprised at how freely they touched me. Although this encounter may sound odd, it was actually quite endearing and wonderful.