Hanoi Trip Day 1: the town

After a quick freshening up at the hotel, we went out to explore the city on foot. The first thing any tourist in Hanoi need to learn is to cross the road. They drive on the right side of the road and motorists swoop in front and behind any pedestrians in their way. Traffic lights are there to be ignored and traffic seems to come from all directions. Pavements are for parking of motorcycles and street vendors instead of walking so pedestrians are forced to walk on the road instead. After these five days I believe I have mastered the skills of jaywalking.
When we finally reached Hoan Kiem Lake alive, we were rewarded by a pretty sight of the area. The surrounding of the lake, the Den Ngoc Son temple and the Turtoise Tower were lit up during the night and their reflections sparkled on the surface of the water. Both locals and tourists could be seen around the lake enjoying the cool weather in the evening. A couple in traditional Vietnamese costumes were having their wedding photos taken. 

After a stroll around the lake we made our way to Pho 10 as recommended by the hotel staff. We were grateful that the menu was in both Vietnamese and English. I ordered the combination of half done beef slices and flanks and it was as good as we expected, if not better. The beef was thin and tender and the broth was aromatic and sweet from all the spices in it. The lime juice, coriander, spring onion and bean sprouts all contributed to the refreshing and contrasting flavours and texture.

Sitting next to us were a pair of local couple who, with the little English that they could speak, taught us the 'proper' way of eating the noodles by adding the different condiments. The guy even shared with me a piece of deep fried patty, which was a kind of street food I believed made of sweet potato. It was simple gesture like this that made me appreciate the friendly and down-to-earth character of Vietnamese people.