Started off the day with a breakfast that the waiter couldn't seem to get right, and then went to see St. So-and-So's Cathedral. Since we were outside of visiting hours (way to consult the guide book, dumbass) we couldn't get in and were left to admire the unimpressive exterior. Deciding this was now a critical moment in our travels - just quit sightseeing and give up, or forge on and try to make the most of the day - Matt and I decided to not let Hanoi get the best of us and went off in search of souveniers and sights.
I'd been feeling a bit disillusioned with Hanoi. I hate like the "expect disappointment so you're never disappointed" philosophy, but that's how I found myself approaching most things. I started considering a meal or sight that was only a slight let down to be a resounding success.
After and hour or so of wandering, we met up with the rest of the group for lunch. We went to a place that's on Alice's list of 1000 places to see before you die. Apparantly it's the best fish in the world, and according to someone's list I'm one more sight out of 1000 closer to dying a happy man. A resounding success by all acounts!
For the afternoon I had two more sights on my list to see before leaving Hanoi, so Matt and I took off to see restored old-style Hanoi house and another temple/shrine. Feeling empowered by our triumph over the Hanoi blues, we even managed to get a little shopping done and to stop for a beer. Had a nap and wrote some email, and then we all met up for dinner and drinks. After closing one bar (it's only midnight, for crying out loud!) we were shown to some "secret" after-hours place that kept turning off the lights and music whenever the police came by.
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