I underestimated Uncle Ho yesterday. He didn't beat two foreign powers, he beat four. The Chinese, the Japanese, the French and finally the Americans. Oh and the British who propped up the French in 1945. I had no idea. Bizarrely after the war finished the British directed the Japanese prisoners of war to fight the Viet Minh on behalf of the French. What a tangled web we weave. Or wove, seeing as the UK is a bit of a spent force when it cones to international intrigue nowadays.
I'm pretty glad that was our last escapade in indochina considering the shit that went down after 1965. Take this with a pinch of salt, seeing that the source is the Vietnam military history museum, but the USA had a hell of a time in Vietnam. I've never seen so many bits of aircraft in one place and the pictures of the conditions both sides fought in show what a hellhole it was. You realize the US and her allies (south Vietnam, Australia and New Zealand to give credit to all) hadn't a hope of winning when Ho Chi Minh and his generals had had almost 30 years to perfect their guerilla techniques before the yankies even arrived. They really should have spoken to the French before they got here. You have to remember that the NVA weren't just pajama wearing guerillas. They had MiGs and missiles too. I don't think you really get that impression from the movies. Its funny that the Americans in 1945 were all about self determination. Unless you're a commie of course. Never get involved in a civil war. Just ask the boys in Afghanistan.
It's a great museum though. There us no ceremony with the relics. You can touch and climb all you like. Well on the US stuff at least. Not so much with the local memorabilia.
Anyhow it's my last morning in Hanoi so I'm off for lunch then a four hour drive to Ha Long bay. Its only 150 km so I'm expecting a lot of traffic. Wish me luck.
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