Took a walk around Hanoi, to Haon Kiem lake and past the omnipresent communist motivational propoganda. Touts hounded us all the time, incredulous as to why we didn't want to buy more fake Lonely Planets, cards, maps or "The Quiet American", ("but I've already read it!!!", "Read it again, is very good!").
Crossed over a red bridge to the Ngol Son Temple timed to perfection to coincide with the visitation of 40 or so highly enthusiastic and incredibly loud primary school children, hell bent on running / climbing / chewing everything in a 20 metre radius.
Made our escape down some of the side streets with crumbling Parisian-like architecture populated with Vietnames stalls and eateries. Whole streets were dedicated to a particular product - shoes, masks, goods for the Tet festival (red paper lanterns, sweets and alchohol), ghost money (photocopied money to dedicate to ancestors) and grave stones depicting the portraits of old and boseyed grannies.
Found a pub to have a beer ... or rather what seemed like someones garage. Sat on kiddy sized plastic seats while touts tried to sell novely lighters in the shape of a horse, the flame coming out of the mouth as it made a naaying sound. 10 glasses of draft beer for one pound ... marvelous!
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