Hanoi’s Weekend Vibes

The blend of traditional Vietnamese vibes and modernity was even more noticeable at the weekend. Large parts of the surrounding roads are closed off which made space for a rock concert that overlaid the scene below. I bet you didn’t imagine that music with this picture..

Part of the Temple of Literature – Vietnam’s first national university and founded in 1070. It features on the 100k Dong note and is a real cultural symbol. No shortage of students getting their graduation photos here!

Space is at a premium here. It seems pretty common for the locals to wheel their scooters into their living room. This car parked up in a clock store tickled me.

I never thought that badminton and football could be merged, however…

Hanoi’s ‘Beer Street’ is supposed to be a lively and social experience where seating is brought into the road, and you can sample some of the local craft beers. We thought it might be a little like an Eastern Oktoberfest.

‘Lively’ and ‘social’ it certainly was, but these adjectives aren’t quite enough – it’s also really quite a visceral experience. We even started to wonder if we’d wandered into a red light district (second video).

These are both long videos, but it gives a great feel as to what Saturday night life is like just a few minutes from our hotel in the Old Quarter.

On our first walk through this street, after Emma had passed through, a chap whispered into my ear ‘I got ladies ready for you’. On our return walk, the same chap again whispered into my ear ‘good weed follow me’.

Cheers boss. You clearly have a diverse business. I’ll give both of your offers a miss.