Hanoi Hilton - July 17, 2013

Hoa Lo prison has had a long, infamous history. The French built the facility in the late 1800s - incarcerating, torturing, and executing Vietnamese up until the time Vietnam gained its independence. The museum went to great lengths to document the harsh treatment the French inflicted on the Vietnamese.

During the Vietnam War, shot-down U.S. fighter pilots were also imprisoned there. That's when the prison earned the nickname, the "Hanoi Hilton."

According to the exhibit,the POWs received "decent and humane treatment." The exhibit indicated, "During the war, the national economy was difficult but the Vietnamese government had created the best living conditions to U.S. pilots for they had a stable life during the temporary detention period." The exhibit went on to say that the living conditions for the prisoners was often better than that of the Vietnamese.

The museum in the former prison even displayed photos of prisoners playing chess, billiards, basketball, watching movies,and celebrating Christmas.

However, American POWs tell a much different story, saying they endured extremely harsh conditions, including regular beatings and torture. Senator John McCain, the ex-presidential candidate, spent 6 years at the "Hanoi Hilton," after being shot down in 1967. His flight suit is on display.

Currently, I am a guest of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam and feel it's best to refrain from comment about the discrepancies. I'll leave that to my readers and to historians to decide.

Unfortunately, much of the prison was torn down to make way for a hotel and shopping complex.

After touring the site, I had a chance to stroll around the city. Even though Hanoi is a modern metropolis jammed with people and traffic, the central historical district is quite scenic, with its narrow, winding streets and structures from hundreds of years ago.

I've enjoyed unwinding the last two days. Tomorrow, I will head about three hours east toward Halong Bay, where I'll do an overnight cruise and then spend an additional night on Cat Ba Island. I've heard its a stunning spot, a bay surrounded by jagged limestone cliffs. It feels like a great, relaxing way to cap off my 7-week trip. By the way, Halong Bay is off the Gulf of Tonkin, which certainly got a lot of press in the Vietnam War.

I continue to have positive interactions with the locals. This morning, I walked into a soup place on the street. Basically, it was a woman cooking the concoction in a big pot on the sidewalk. It wasn't hard to decide because there was just one option - soup.

When I sat down on one of the plastic stools, she smiled. I don't think she gets many customers who are tourists. After she served me, she hovered around, waiting to see my reaction. Actually, it was some of the best soup I've had on my trip. She smiled from ear to ear when I rubbed my belly, indicating my satisfaction.

Later, a man sat down and ate with me. When I told him I was American, he smiled, shook my hand, and we spent several minutes working on his English. Still,I can't find any of that anti-American sentiment some tourists complain about.

It's time to close. I'm getting tired. As always, I'll be in touch.