Hanoi: lake walks, street performers and paparazzi training class

Phillip and I arrived in Hoi An, Vietnam, yesterday; however, our time in Hanoi needs more description and pictures. On Wednesday and Thursday, the weather was even hotter and more humid than it had been, sweltering during our strolls around Hoan Kiem lake. So, no long walks. Instead, I found some museums that Phillip might be interested in. Museums that are air conditioned and have really nice restrooms. And, for the ones I selected, free to the public and not terribly far away. Our first museum, the Women's Museum, documented the role of women in Vietnamese society and contained many displays of the ethnic attire over the years. 

We went to the Hanoi Police Museum, mainly comprised of uniform and weapons displays. 

Just a few blocks from the Hanoi Police Museum, we came across the Public Safety Museum. This museum also containing uniform and weapons displays, but it had more dioramas and seemed to indicate their focus was more on counterinsurgency and violent crime. 

"Robber Hunting Team" motorcycle

description of the 1978 Robber Hunting Team

Both the police and the public safety groups have fire service within their departments. Seemed like unnecessary redundancy to us, but maybe they have reasons, other than just politics, for it.

Although hot, we did walk about a mile south of Hoan Kiem Lake to another lake surrounded by a park. 

We walked around the lake, noticing that in places the sidewalk was in disrepair, but generally it was still a nice area. And, like we see everywhere, plenty of statues.

Friday was a bit easier on us as we walked around. My Fitbit is getting used! over 70,000 steps a week. BTW, a circuit around Hoan Kiem Lake is 1.1 miles. Two college students approached us to practice their English. While we were talking, a third student ran across the street and bought us ice cream cones as a thank you. Also during our morning lake walk, we watched workers construct the stages for the regular weekend festivities. 

This is that same stage, about ten hours later, now a performance venue.

As the evening darkened, crowds arrived at the nearby night market and to the closed streets around the lake. 

Street performers didn't always need a stage. Sometimes, they just set up in the road. 

Saturday morning and the streets around the lake remain closed to traffic, but early in the day, no crowds.

Continuing around the lake on our first walk, we saw a cluster of photographers snapping away at a beautiful young woman in a traditional ao dai outfit. 

I asked a man sitting nearby if she was famous and he said he did not recognize her. When we saw another gaggle (what do you call a bunch of photographers?) of paparazzi moving to get the best angle to photograph yet another beautiful woman, I asked one of the photographers if this woman was famous. He chuckled and said, no. The women were models and the photographers were in a workshop, perfecting their skills in the real world. Ahhh.... paparazzi training!

Since it was Saturday, schoolkids were in the park. We were approached by Helen, a 10-year old with the loudest voice we encountered. She wanted to practice her English. Her father just beamed as he could tell that we understood everything she said. He took a picture for her and another one with my camera. 

Saturday evening, back in the park after dark. Even more street performers.

At the main stage on the north end of the lake, we watched as a singer named "Lena" performed. She had her name flashed repeatedly on the backdrop (and the name of her sponsorship, Levis) so this one may have actually been a celebrity! I checked later with my good buddy Google, Lena is a vlogger and does Instagram posts, having 178,000 followers.  

Lena, wearing her Levis

As we walked our final lake lap of the trip, more university students stopped us to practice English. At first, it was a group of five, but more from their class showed up so we ended talking with nine of them! When it came time for them to document it with a photo, we had to move closer to a lighted building because of the crowd going around us, so the picture is badly composed. These experiences with the kids and students are one of the primary reasons we love Vietnam. 

Before I close our Hanoi chapter, I need to include a food picture and story. I saw a good review for a restaurant about two blocks from the hotel. In the heat, we did not want to walk far for dinner, so we headed there. We found the restaurant's sign and a woman directed us down an alley and up a set of stairs to a room with four tables, two already occupied with diners, and a small kitchen area. I had the best bun cha of the trip! Phillip ordered sweet and sour chicken and some spring rolls. We did not realize that soup and an appetizer came with our meals. Our little table was full of dishes and our bellies were full of food when we left. All this, including Phillip's cola and my lemonade, for under $10.00.