Hats must be removed before entering, hands must not be placed in pockets. Rifle-carrying soldiers bark these dos and don'ts as you enter the cold inner chamber where Uncle Ho, as he is still affectionately called by some, lies embalmed. After bustling Saigon, the marketplaces and shops here are sedate. But he is reluctant to talk about last year's profits. Not only are Hanoi people shy but they also do not like to be photographed.
Nights are quiet here.
One resident says that people are more serious, preferring to read and learn English to improve their job prospects, because the odds are stacked against them. When a farmer plants rice in the North, he and his family will not relax until the rice is harvested. The weather can change quickly and wipe out crops, he said. In the South, the farmer can celebrate after the rice is planted because the weather will always be kind to him, he said. Sure everybody tells us the South is more active.