Not a great action day except me and Montreal Johnnie walked a long way. First down to Lake Koan Kiem where it seemed every Vietnamese family in the city had decided to walk as well. Very wide French style promenade around the lake. Disticnt lack of street vendors there to which makes a change. We were going to miss the moring session at the Hanoi Hilton as the Americans termed the Hoa Lo prison so we detoured to look at a massive grey church St Josephs another legacy of the French. A quick coffee and beer at Marilyns restaurant which involved climbing 6 flights of stairs to a rooftop terrace with a view over the church square. If you look closely at the pic of the sqaure you will see a shrine built on the second floor of a shop bearing a Pepsi sign. Obviously still a few christians about this area.
While we were looking for the church I asked a local where it was, he looked bemusedly at me and crossed himself then pointed the way . One thing I have noticed about Hanoians is that they have a good sense of humour.
A few bouts of asking directions and we found the prison at last. The sign over the front entrance was surely a French joke "Maison Centrale". Only a small part of the prison survives, all the land behind it has been eaten up by huge high rises. Wikipedia tells me the name is a euphemism and followed a pattern adopted in France for prisons. The literal meaning of Hoa Lo is fiery hole but that derived from the trades in that street which dealt with firewood and stoves.
 Pictures of American inmates show them very healthy and fit but other accounts detail systematic torture to break the will of prisoners and to make them sign false statements about their conditions. 
The dummies you see in the pictures show inmates during the French occupation.
The brass plaques pictured show the names of every inmate of the prison from when it was built in c1900 to the ending of French possession in 1954.
On the way back we were collared by a book seller and of course I weakened and bought Catfish and Mandala a book I had never heard of involving an exiled Vietnamese travels around his fathers country . I just caint say no.
Back home for a sleep and then out to the Saturday market looking for little presents for grandchildren. No luck but on the way back I saw someone selling draught beer for 5000 a glass, 25 cents. I had heard of this micro brewery Bia Hoi and wanted to try some which I did, the lady brought out a menu written on a piece of card and I ordered fried cured pork balls. It was good sitting on the street watching all the local boys and girls sitting opposite having a Saturday night out, laughing drinking beer and of course talking flat out.
  While I was sitting a Japanese guy came up and had a beer and we chatted for a while. He had come over from Japan for an interview with a magazine for a journalistic job at the Viet companies expense. The beer was a low alcohol content drop which is good when you are negotiating through cars and motorcycles. It becomes tiresome having to be constantly alert to traffic coming both ways and sometimes on the wrong side.
Got lost again going back to the hotel, Ma May street ? A hand gesture and you're on your way again. I passed a lady selling T shirts, she said you promised yesterday to buy one, with a disappointed tone of voice. I brushed her off but when I got back to the hotel she appeared again. Good Morning Vietnam? No thanks Hanoi Traffic? Got one already. I had no intention of buying one but she was so sweet I broke down. Who is surprised? None of you. She was married with 2 kids and she said now she could go home 20 kms on the bus to her family. She left with such a sweet happy smile on her face.