The old quarter is set out in 36 street each one specializing in the products for sale there - for example, silk street, painting street, bra and sock street (the latter providing much amusement since nothing fitted either of us, and they even sold padded underpants for women - as if us English girls need any more padding!). We soon realized that it was pointless trying to buy clothes as they are made for ultraslim vietnamese, even the buttons on jeans are undone to fit the manequins (which are already tiny)
The biggest culture shock for us coming from Laos is that the Vietnamese are much more agressive on selling you everything - one "no, thankyou" doesn't usually cut it for them to stop pestering you. Much to Gary's annoyance, he has been chased by numerous young boys who seem intent on glueing his North Face shoes back together (thanks a lot North Face!).
A couple of our favorite cultural sites in Hanoi was the Museum of Fine Arts which is a beautiful French Colonial building filled with numerous beautiful treasures. Across the street, we also liked the Temple of Literature - which interestingly is not a place of worship in a religious sense, but instead a place to pay respect to men who have made significant contributions to literature or arts, or knowledge - it is a confucian temple.
