Blue as the sky - xanh da troi

Thought I'd do xanh da troi (blue) today as this is the theme on our Daily Photo Blogs for the first day of thang muoi mot (November).

These photos were taken in the old town centre of Hoi An, Central Vietnam.

Busy streets of Hanoi

The streets of Hanoi are full of people, motorbikes, rickshaws and bicycles - day and night.

Early morning exercise

Early morning in Hanoi and its residents stop on their way to work to play badminton, run and partake in taiqi quan and calisthenics.

Lang Chu Tich Ho Chi Minh

In Ba Dinh Square, where Ho Chi Minh delivered Vietnam's declaration of Independence in 1945, his embalmed corpse lies in state in the massive marble and granite mausoleum.

Inscribed prominently on the mausoleum is Ho's famous maxim "Nothing is more precious than freedom."

Ho Chi Minh wanted to be cremated and his ashes spread in a number of places around his beloved country, but he is displayed in a glass casket in a cold room within this monumental tomb.

Chua Mot Cot - One-Pillar Pagoda

Originally built in 1049 the wooden pagoda sits on a single concrete pillar rising out of a lotus pool. I t was reconstructed after the departing French soldiers destroyed it in 1954.

Water puppets

In the 11th century, before the dikes were built to hold back the annual Red River floods in the delta, the farmers created a unique form of art - water puppetry.

The puppeteers stand in water up to their waist, behind a screen and manoeuvre the puppets on long bamboo poles. The performances consist of a dozen or more small acts which retell Vietnamese myths.

Musicians provide background music.

Hanoi's women at work

A tribute to the working women of Hanoi.

Sunday - Hanoi style

Fishing on the edge of Truc Bach Lake.

Drinking very strong coffee with friends.

Watching the world go by.

Working at Chau Long market - same job, different day.

Shades of green

Hanoi has many tree- lined streets which help deflect the hot sun.

Hanoi seniors

In Vietnam the elderly are respected by all, and their age is seen as a sign of wisdom.

Hanoi with a French twist

The struggle to gain independence from the French took many years, but the French influence in Hanoi can still be seen in its architectural heritage, with green shutters and mustard rendered walls in abundance. People still call you Madame and wonderful French pastries are available.

Vietnam - same same but different

Why the name? In Vietnam we saw this on T-shirts everywhere and it made us smile because in PNG we say same same too!!!

I'll post a photo everyday with just a very short comment. I don't want to appear to know all about the place, but will add anything I think you might find interesting. I will work consecetively through the photos from the beginning of the trip to the end picking those I think are worthy. Many were taken by He-Who-Doesn't-Blog. We encountered some very wet, cloudy and smoggy weather so his expertise was wonderful. All of the photos except for a couple had to be taken manually because the weather conditions kept tricking the camera.

This was one of the first photos taken. You know that exciting feeling when you open up the window and look out on a city you have never been to before. I crawled out through the window onto a tiny balcony looked down onto the street and there she was - a Hanoi flower seller.