Hoi An to Hanoi

DaNang to Hanoi - 1/31

Hoi An was most enjoyable and I could easily return for a visit. I could spend a day or more on the Marble Mountains. There are many grottos and  caves to explore. 

A very uneventful morning, bags packed and out at 0630, breakfast and then on bus to the airport. Well I spoke too soon as the bus driver was kind enough to take a route allowing us to view the Dragon Bridge in Da Nang .  This would be a great bridge to photo at night, but I was happy to get to see it and grab a couple very quick photos. 

Our flight to Hanoi was just over an hour, upon arrival we boarded the  bus and traveled to KOTO.

Memorial to John McCain , will visit tomorrow. 

Todays lunch took us to KOTO

KOTO stands for Know One, Teach One. Learning should be passed on; knowledge is meant to be shared. This is the essential idea of KOTO’s Vietnamese-Australian founder, Jimmy Pham.

More than 16 years ago, Mr. Jimmy opened a hospitality training centre in Hanoi, giving at-risk and disadvantaged youth the opportunity to learn and thrive in their lives.

KOTO's purpose is to end the cycle of poverty by empowering and helping our targeted youth to forge a better future for themselves, their families and their communities.  

As a social enterprise, KOTO has trained over 700 students in our training centers in Hanoi and Saigon, with 200 of them currently enrolled.

In addition to the Foundation arm that focuses on raising funds to support its cause through charitable activities and initiatives, KOTO also operates  a platform for real life hospitality training and also a source of income to support the training and welfare of our students.

Mr. Jimmy 

After lunch we made our way to our lodging for the next two nights, the Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi.  This property is where the elite would meet and greet. 

Here we step into history and experience the timeless character, romance and elegance of Hanoi's most storied 5-star hotel. 

Located steps from the Opera House in Hanoi's French Quarter this legendary property brings guests to experience the opulence of another era. One can not help but be surrounded in the heritage as you stroll corridors and explore a dramatic past. 

Lynn noticed her suitcase had been entered and then noticed the bags handle had been broken. Duck Tape to the rescue.  

This hotel has an underground bunker and we should get a tour tomorrow. 

We are getting a bit of down time before the Water Puppet Theater this evening. 

The main musical instruments used in the water puppetry art are: drum, two-stringed fiddle, flute, drum kit, 16-chord zither or monochord. In the water puppetry performance, many kinds of firecrackers were also used such as crackers, fireworks, powder-filled paper strings, duck-shape firecrackers. The explosion and miracle light of fireworks made the performance more attractive.

Yes the performance was very interesting, scenes depicted legends and the daily life of the Vietnamese people. After the performance we were able to take a look back stage and see the puppets and their frame and mechanisms which control the actions of the puppets. The puppeteers wear hip boots with warm clothing underneath. 

A very worthwhile experience, not to be missed. 

Our dinner this evening was at our hotel. We chose the Asian restaurant and the food and service were excellent. 

Need sleep as we have Tai Chi in the morning .