Retreat Of War

We arrive in Hanoi, landing among rice fields at an airport which looks like the one at Patna. The city, 30 km away, is something like Pondicherry meeting Imphal with a little bit of Goa thrown in. Despite all those wars, I'm relieved to see that Vietnam advertises itself as The Land of the Smile. The Army Hotel where I'm staying, is in the heart of Hanoi, close to the French Opera House. It is civilian-run and has an excellent military song-and-dance troupe which regales our defence delegation with old Indian songs. It is a custom for members of the audience to present a rose to one of the female performers after each item. A minor stampede to do the honours ensues.