Hanoi - some things change and some remain the same.

 Hanoi changes every time I visit it, just like any city.  There are more cars and less bicycles than my first visit.  The little charcoal burners have disappeared, as have the dvd vendors.  More Vietnamese can speak English though my Vietnamese remains at rock bottom.

 Some things, however, remain the same.  The "Vietlish" signs, remain delightful.

The Vietnamese love their flowers and plants, whether they be real

 or fake:

Motorbikes still operate as family transport:

 while bicycles are still roaming shops:

and old monuments still remain, like the old French water tower, no longer functioning but still ugly.

 

 Yesterday, I introduced Bob to another area: Truc Bach Lake

 and West Lake (Ho Tay)

  

which look better on camera, which seems to cut out the incredible smog and rubbish on the edges.  They cant be that dirty though since they are full of fish.

We visited the Tran Quoc Pagoda which was originally constructed in the 6th century, then transferred from the shores of the Red River to its present site of the Kim Ngu islet in 1615 to save it from the encroaching water.  Every time I visit, it is under construction but it is still very beautiful and treasured by the locals.

 

Then, we wandered along the road between the two lakes watching men squatting down to play cards in the parks, others fishing in the lakes, teenagers flirting and a man training his chihuahuas to come when called ( no-one seems to use leads much to walk dogs.  Instead they encourage the dogs to focus on them and be territorial, though I have seen dogs chained up).

We passed the entrance to temples

and explored the old French avenues with their slowly mouldering mansions.

 

Today, we took the lift to the eight floor of our hotel and climbed two floors to reach the pool area cum construction site for a new restaurant.  The views were amazing

 although we were quietly amused at the hotel's failure to separate the sweating workmen from the guests ( one sunbather was blithely unconcerned in her bikini at the labouring men working practically beside her).