The next day we went around visiting Hanoi Old Quarter. When we went out of the hotel, we found ourselves in a lively street, full of colors and odors; shops and food stalls accounted for a part of it, the motorcycles for the rest.

We passed through an amazing succession of "corporation" streets: the shops selling similar goods are grouped in the same street. That tradition is old in Hanoi, and even the street name used to indicate the business going on in that particular street.
To add to the confusion, the street names change every few crossings...

At each crossing, the XeOm drivers propose you to take you to destination on the back of their motorcycle. Women carrying two baskets suspended on a pole offer fruits or other foods, and the pavements are impossible to walk, as they are filled with parked motorcycles and covered with goods or food for sale.

The climate is VERY hot and VERY humid, making everybody sweat all the time. Add to that the continuous concert of horns by the motorcycles and cars, and you can imagine how hostile the streets can seem at first.

Once you get used to it, you just make your way walking slowly, entrusting the vehicles with your safety as they have to go around you (note that they do not stop or slow down, nor do they stop at red lights. They can only use their horn).

We visited the Jade Mountain Temple, on the Hoan Kien Lake, situated in the old quarters of Hanoi. We bought food at a street market, cheap and terrificly GOOOOD! After eating all that near the lake, we went around town (see the pictures), also looking to orhanize a visit to Ha Long Bay.

We finally booked a tour in the evening, departing the next day.
We tried out a really cheap restaurant: GOOOOOD! And also some home-brewed beers, called Bia Hoi, that are served in the streets: cheep and good too. Apparently the Czech taught the Vietnamese how to produce beer in micro-breweries, and you can find a glass of such draught beer for as low as 1500 dongs (under 10cts).

Night and day Hanoi offers a wide variety of cafes, restaurans, Bia Hoi, and it would take years to try out all of them.

So apart from the Vietnames disturbing habit of not understanding the word NO, the feeling with the city and its people is very good.