Tonight I walked home after a quick beer at Hoa Vien with my laser skirmish cronies (yes, there is such a venue in Hanoi and it is a valid form of entertainment for 30-somethings). At night the wide pavements in Hai Ba Trung district (the old French quarter), makeshift motorbike parking lots by day, are replaced by little bia hois and tea drinking stalls. Populated by a handful of old men in singlets and shorts, and women in pyjamas, just hanging out and observing life.
I passed an old man sitting in the gutter dropping pieces of newspaper into a fire he’d built. It was at least 30 degrees so he wasn’t doing it to keep warm. Perhaps he regularly burnt rubbish by the side of the road. Nobody paid much attention. Couples on motorbikes were out cruising the streets; girls in stilettos, lacy see-through tops and shorts so tiny they were more effective as underwear. They likely weren’t selling anything, it’s just how girls dress here at night. By day, it’s voluminous long sleeved shirts, face masks and tight jeans. But as soon as the sun goes down, the clothes come off. Don’t believe travel guides which say Hanoian women are modest in their appearance – just the opposite!
Further on, I saw big cages of what looked like turkeys but they were probably roosters. Cock fighting is a popular sport on special occasions, such as Tet. Maybe it is a full moon thing or they were just bound for the hot pot. Poor things. I still get sad seeing how animals are kept here.
Getting tired, I crossed the road and “Anh oi” ‘d one of the many dodgy little no name taxis that abound Hanoi. The driver looked at me glazed eyes from a night of bia hoi or perhaps something more stronger. Regardless, I arrived home five mins later, just avoiding another night time summer downpour.
