Hanoi, Vietnam

Our tour group huddles at the Ho Chi Minh mausoleum. Arnie Kaston, Burt Rein, Lynn Kasten, Linda Weber, Susan Rein, Ray Cabano, Fran Aronowitz, Mark Aronowitz, Erma Cabano, Sam Solomon, Linda Shyawitz, Harry Weber.

Our tour group (the other section): Gretchen Lengyel, Marti and David Minker, Jerry and Linda (top of head) Kasoff, Gerry Paul, Diane Paul (no relation, behind Gerry), Joseph Van De Water, Kitty Walker, Susan Levin, Stan Dublinske, Bruce Levin.

Former French Embassy, Hanoi, Vietnam

Ho Chi Minh's residence in Hanoi. Lynn Kaston, Susan Rein and Fran Aronowitz, followed by Ray and Erma Cabano.

Ho Chi Minh's residence in Hanoi. More of the crowd. Ray and Erma Cabano, Mark Aronowitz, Burt Rein (hat only), Linda Weber, Arnie Kaston, Harry Weber, Sam Solomon.

Ho Chi Minh's residence in Hanoi.

Ho Chi Minh's residence in Hanoi.

Visiting part of Ho Chi Minh's residence in Hanoi.

Guard at Ho Chi Minh's residence in Hanoi.

Marti Minker and Gretchen Lengyel. David Minker.

David Minker, followed by Sherri Paul and Renee Mirsky, and Gerry Paul.

Sherri Paul and Renee Mirsky.

A room in the "Hanoi Hilton," the prison where Sen. John McCain was imprisoned. The French built this prison near the turn of the century, with construction completed in 1901. U.S. soldiers were imprisoned here from August 11,1964 to March 28,1973. http://www.farfromglory.com/hanoihilton.htm

Arni Kaston at the Sofitel Metropole, Hanoi, Vietnam.

Lynn Kaston at the Sofitel Metropole, Hanoi, Vietnam.

Gerry Paul at the Sofitel Metropole, Hanoi, Vietnam. Nice sweatshirt.

Marti Minker

Couples take pre-wedding photos about a month in advance at picturesque locations in Vietnam, here in front of the Sofitel Metropole hotel in Hanoi, with a fancy cyclo (used to transport people around town).

Part of our tour group, a very friendly group who mixed it up very well. Left to Right: Jerry Kasoff, Lynn Kaston, Linda Kasoff, Susan Rein, Arnie Kaston, Mark Aronowitz, Fran Aronowitz, Gerry Paul (back of head only), Burt rein (cap only), Susan Levin, Marti Minker.

A back alley chef preparing deep fried somethings in Hanoi, Vietnam.

A lakeside street in Hanoi, Vietnam near Thap Rua, the Tortoise Tower in Hoàn Kiếm Lake.

A relatively neat electrical support pole in Hanoi, Vietnam.

Saint Joseph Cathedral (Nhà thờ Lớn Hà Nội, Nhà thờ Chính tòa Thánh Giuse) is a Roman Catholic cathedral in Hanoi, Vietnam. It is the seat of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Hanoi. The church was built by the French in 1886 in the neo-gothic style. It holds several masses throughout the day and is usually crowded on weekends and religious holidays.

Thap Rua, or Tortoise Tower, is a three-story pagoda located in the middle of Hoàn Kiếm Lake. It was built in the 18th century, and is one of the most recognized landmarks in Hanoi. Hanoi has been inhabited since at least 3000 BC. One of the first known permanent settlements is the Co Loa citadel (Cổ Loa) founded around 200 BC. Hanoi has had many names throughout history, all of them of Sino-Vietnamese origin. During the Chinese domination of Vietnam, it was known as Tống Bình (宋平) and later Long Đỗ (龍肚; literally "dragon's belly"). In 866, it was turned into a citadel and was named Đại La (大羅). In 1010, Lý Thái Tổ, the first ruler of the Lý Dynasty, moved the capital of Đại Việt (大越, the Great Viet, then the name of Vietnam) to the site of the Đại La Citadel. Claiming to have seen a dragon ascending the Red River, he renamed it Thăng Long (昇龍, English: Ascending dragon) - a name still used poetically to this day. It remained the capital of Vietnam until 1397, when the capital was moved to Thanh Hóa, also known as%

Our group near the Tortoise Tower in Hoàn Kiếm Lake: Linda Kasoff (holding camera), Joe (:Van") VanDeWater (red shirt), George Denahm (Blue Shirt), Sherry Paul (facing us, smiling), Tour Gude, Renee Mirsky (holding bag in front), Lynn Kaston (rear), Linda Weber (partial), Judy Kaplan, Marti Minker, Gerry Paul (just the top of his head), Arnie Kaston, Susan Levin (head obscured), Kitty Walker, Bruce Levin (face obscured), Burt Rein (part of hat only) Ray Cabano, David Minker, Erma Cabano. (Ellis Mirsky is behind the camera.).

Our group near the Tortoise Tower in Hoàn Kiếm Lake.

Lakeside near the Tortoise Tower in Hoàn Kiếm Lake.

A street salesman gets a lesson in sales from a pro (David Minker) lakeside near the Tortoise Tower in Hoàn Kiếm Lake.

A bride-to-be lakeside near the Tortoise Tower in Hoàn Kiếm Lake, Hanoi, Vietnam.

A bride-to-be lakeside near the Tortoise Tower in Hoàn Kiếm Lake, Hanoi, Vietnam.