HANOI TOURS OFFER VISITORS TASTE OF SUMMIT ACTION
Travellers arrive in Vietnam capital to witness history in the making
WHEN Lee Parry heard that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and United States President Donald Trump would meet here, he knew he wanted to be part of the action and soon booked a trip.
He joined the “Trump-Kim Vietnam Summit Tour” being put on this week by a travel company whose slogan offers “destinations your mother would rather you stayed away from” — including North Korea.
The trip to the Vietnamese capital was not exactly a daring one, but a chance for visitors to be part of the flurry surrounding Trump and Kim’s second meeting this week.
“It’s a lot better than seeing it on Twitter or Facebook,” said Parry, 36, a British student living in China.
“To be at the forefront of that and to get to see it in the flesh was too good to pass up.”
On the agenda are several welltrodden stops on the Hanoi tourist trail: The Ho Chi Minh mausoleum, the war museum and the former “Hanoi Hilton” jail, where American prisoners of war including, John McCain, were held during the Vietnam War.
Also included are some summit-specific sites such as the Melia Hotel, where Kim is expected to stay.
Kim arrived here yesterday following a marathon 4,000km journey through China on his trademark olive green armoured train.
The capital’s streets were lined with armed soldiers and military vehicles, highly unusual for a foreign leader’s visit to Vietnam.
The capital’s downtown was also packed with well-wishers eager to witness history.
For some, it was a repeat affair. “I went to Singapore for the first summit and now I’m here because I’m just wishing for the best.
“I hope they make a good connection here,” said a South Korean tourist, waving the Vietnamese flag.