Day 2

We went to Hoa Lo Prison, better known as the Hanoi Hilton. This is the prison famous for houseing US pilots shot down during the Vietnamese War. Most famous, of course, would be John McCain, former Republican Presidential Candidate and pilot during the War. His aircraft was shot down in 1967 and he then was held for approximately 6 years at the Hanoi Hilton, where he faced the extreme conditions, including torture. A few of the photos show McCain, along with some of the other pilots, at Christmas time (purely for propaganda). There are also a few photos of the pilots' release in 1973.

We have visited a lot of prisons from Jamestown to St Augustine, FL (oldest prison in America). This one appeared to have some of the worst conditions, including those from the 1600 and 1700. You might also note the French guillotine and photo of severed heads. It seems much of this prison museum is dedicated to showing the cruelity of the French oppression of the Vietnamese during the first half of the 1900's.

Video of the walls outside
you can hear the traffic in the background