We arrived back in Hanoi after our trip to Halong Bay and met up with Katy, an American girl we met on the boat trip, to try the local Bia Hoi. Bia Hoi is basically 'fresh' beer, it doesn't have any preservatives so it has to be drunk straightaway and there are Bia Hoi places all over Vietnam - you just sit on the road drinking beer for 6p a glass! We went to Bia Hoi junction in the Old Quarter where we also met an American couple, Rebecca and Jeff and an Aussie couple, who gave us some tips for the next leg of our journey! We had a great night, and drunk our body weight in cheap beer for less than 50p - great!!!

The next day we went to the Temple of Literature. The temple is dedicated to people who have made a contribution to the literary world. The temple is in the centre of Hanoi but it was still really peaceful, as it was set in courtyards and gardens. That evening we went to see the water puppet theatre, which was really good fun. The stage is basically a pool and the puppeteers are hidden behind the set wearing waders! It is great for kids, lots of music and punch and judy style commentry (in Vietnamese, but we got the jist), but we still enjoyed it!