Ho-Chi Minh Mausoleum

I went to the Ho-Chi Minh (Bringer of Light) Mausoleum, a pilgrimage for most Vietnamese, akin to the Russians visiting Lenin's tomb, or the Muslim's pilgrimage to the Haj. It was hushed going into the mausoleum with no one uttering a word - no cameras, no pagers, no cell phones, double file, don’t step off the red carpet, no loud voices, no laughing, no stopping, no bare feet, no sleeveless shirts, and no hats. It's a massive granite and marble structure to revere the hero of Vietnam, the liberator from its many invaders. I choked up a bit going in I was so overcome by the reverent and hushed ambiance, with everybody bowing as they shuffled slowly past Ho-Chi Minh's incubator. And I see why there's no stopping, it would have been a one-hundred car pile-up - the place was packed, with a line-up going out the door and down the street. I admired Ho-Chi Minh and the love he had for his people. And what's more, he knew how to fight a war, with help from his General Giap.