Da Ba Pagoda and Beethoven

I must say, this trip is dragging on and on, and we've been in only a few cities so far.  Yesterday we went to the Museum of Ethnology, which was more of  little mannequins posing as ethic minorities, all of whom seem to be tending fake fires and weaving clothes.  The model houses outside the museum were interesting but I really didn't want to pay the extra $2.50 to bring in my camera.  When we left, we passed this building - the Las Vegas karaoke something or other with an enormous Christmas tree on the front.  HUH?

I am reading Dumb Luck, a 1930s satire of Vietnam by Vu Trong Phung, and there is a mention of an old pagoda called the Ba Da Pagoda, which I spent a good bit of time tracking down yesterday afternoon, stumbling into temple after temple in search of it; when I finally found it, I discovered a wee little pagoda set behind the street through this little archway.  I gather it is the main location for the Buddhist association, and there must be plenty of money because inside they were building a massive new structure surrounding the smaller pagoda.

This is the outside, and below is the inner most part of the temple/pagoda.

This was a lovely detail on part of the old structure walls, and the sign below assured me I was in the right place.

Leaving the serene little place, I met a woman who was coming in to pray; she smiled and put her hands together to say "Namaste."

Last night was the Fourth of July, and I went to the Hanoi Opera House to hear Beethoven's 5th and Violin Concerto.  As I walked along the Hoan Kiem Lake,I photographed this hauntingly lovely pagoda from the other side.

The Opera House has always compelled me; it isn't very large inside, but the fresh white and black marble feels cool and refreshing when I come into it.

I have a good view of the cellos, and the Viet Nam National Symphony Orchestra dis an excellent job on Beethoven's 5th; I know because we played it this year at Independence Sinfonia!

The ceiling of the actual house.

And, as always, I leave you with a lacy doorway that I stumbled across in my wandering yesterday afternoon.  It was a good 4th, and this morning I had a good but steamy run to ready me for a day of travel as we head off to Vientienne in Laos today.