Hanoi’s Old Quarter is almost the exact opposite of the French Quarter. A warren of narrow, congested streets, the old quarter is fascinating its own way. The streets are two-way, but narrow enough that I would consider most of them single-lane roads. There are sidewalks, but the shops tend to spill out onto them, and people park their scooters on the sidewalk. The result is that cars and scooters pushing in both directions, winding around one another, and pedestrians are often forced to walk on the road as well. Walking through the old quarter is a nerve-wracking exercise, but it’s an outstanding cultural experience. There are cafes that offer very cheap beer, for as little as about 25 cents. We found that the 75-cent beer was a better deal; not only was it higher quality, but the portions were larger. Our favorite spot didn’t seem to have a name; it was just identified by its address: 29 Lương Ngọc Quyến.
Hanoi’s silk district is also nearby, so if you’re in the mood for sartorial souvenirs you’ll want to explore that, too. Silk shopping in Hanoi can be very hit-or-miss. Shops offer custom-made suits for as little as about $150, and some will offer to make them in 12 hours. Those tend to be pretty low quality, and they’re often said to get measurements wrong. We picked a shop called Silk & Silk because it had a very handsome gray suit in the window. The shopkeeper spoke excellent English. She told me a suit costs $225, and typically takes three days to make. Because they weren’t very busy, though, they told me they could have the suit ready in a day and a half. They did, and the suit looked and fit great (it’s still one of my favorites).