The Gods were looking down on us...

Wow - don't ask how much we paid - it was extortionate for here but a complete bargain if at home. Yesterday we posted about our 'what food we're missing craving' one of which was apple crumble and ice cream. Today in Hanoi our lunch place had pineapple,papaya,mango and ginger CRUMBLE with ice cream. We have died and gone to heaven!!!!

(note the 'protective' hand over the crumble - dont mess with this.)

Before we found that though we sorted our plans for the next few days and got slightly lost but then found ourselves again in the old quarter. By the way, our plans mean we might be 'off grid' again for a bit so maybe no blogs for 5-6 days but we promise no more motorbikes parents! 8-)

We also wandered around Hoan Kiem lake and admired (sort of) the preserved giant tortoise of a species that supposedly lives in the lake, trouble is no-one has ever proven there are any more in the lake.

Afternoon saw more wandering of the old quarter - we saw 'engine and welding alley', 'shoe alley', 'haberdashery alley' and numerous silk shops and tailors.

(welding, and machining alley 8-) )



Then onto the water puppet theatre. This was very cool. A stylised version of entertainment the rice paddy farmers used to provide. Although I tell you, having been ankle deep in a rice paddy in Cambodia (and therefore speaking with some experience), they are full of dung, crabs, frogs and biting ants (I still have the scars around my ankles). There is NO WAY I would ever stand knee deep in them to wave some puppets around.

The stylised version however involves nice clean water, a theatre and puppeteers wearing galoshes and was generally much less smelly than rice paddies actually are so that was alright. The puppets themselves were great - fighting bullocks, dragons, fish, horse races, circles of fire and flaming torches all came in to play along with traditional music and singing.
Martyn was fascinated by how the puppets worked as there were no strings from above - it was all done with horizontal poles - very clever.

(Camberwick Green had nothing on this, they had dragons and fire and everything)

Have to go and pack for the next few days now as it's up early in the morning!