JK - We left our mooring place in Ha Long Bay to head back to shore and onwards back to Hanoi. We arrived by mid afternoon and spent the rest of the day wandering around the Old Quarter buying and haggling on all the different streets. Our favourite was Hang Gai or 'Silk Street'. There were so many beautiful clothes and bags on sale we could have filled a whole suitcase, but alas, we only have so much room.
In the evening we met up with everyone else to see a Water Puppet Show. It is supposed to be a traditional authentic Vietnamese experience but Tom and I found it kitsch and a little patronising. If you ever come to Hanoi, give it a miss unless you really like puppets.
After that we decided we needed a little treat and decided to eat away from the rest of the group for the first time. So we headed to a Lonely Planet recommendation called Ly Club. The restaurant is set in an old colonial French mansion, a beautiful setting for some amazing food. I didn't think the spring rolls in Bangkok could be beaten, but they were incredible. The mains were also incredible, mine was served in bamboo. We then took a leisurely walk back to the hotel. The streets that were earlier teaming with scooters were now covered in a market. It meant crossing the road much easier! See our uploaded video for what it is like! You have to walk out in to the road when there is a 'gap' and take your time and not run so that the scooters have time to avoid you, scary at first but you get used to it. An early night in time for our group exercise near the lake at 5.30am the next day...