It's amazing how you can get used to a City in a day!

Rained a lot in the night and all day today.

Looked out of our hotel window to see people setting up their shops, hanging up the budgie cages and women struggling with basketfuls of fresh fruit and vegetables.

We trudged along the muddy streets to book a boat trip at Halong Bay being pestered by Cyclo men on the way.We then went to a cafe/patisserie for lunch - lovely food with tiny footstools to eat on. Banana milkshakes were 10/10. You had to take your shoes off which made no difference because we all had muddy feet.

Then we walked through the busy streets of Hanoi to the Market which was packed with numerous stalls selling everything from shoes to handmade dresses.

Matthew tried to buy some flip flops from someone who was asleep! In the end he bought them for less than a pound - Livs bought a watch for about 1.50 and Ems bought some trendy sunglasses for about 1.50 - bargain!.

Livs and Mum went to the most disgusting toilets ever and we mean disgusting!

We then walked through the rain back to our hotel to wash our feet before going to see the famous water puppets. They were colourful and beautiful, but there were lots of older people asleep behind us.

Then we took a taxi to a really nice restaurant hidden away in the French Quarter of town. We had a lovely meal served by young, friendly Vietnamese waitresses who taught us some Vietnamese words.