Hanoi: built around lakes

Close to our hotel was the Hoan Kiem Lake, about which there is a legend, of course, connected with the founding of Hanoi as the ancient capital of Vietnam.  We walked around the lake a couple of times, by day and by night.
Once you make it across the street to the promenade around the lake, you find refuge from the noise and crowding.  Lots of people use the park around the lake for execise, but we didn't feel crowded.
Actually, because the sidewalks in the city are clogged with parked motorscooters and makeshift restaurants set up every afternoon and serving food till late at night, it's difficult to walk freely around the old part of Hanoi, where our hotel was, so people need the lakeside promenade just to stretch their legs.














Next to the Ho Chi Minh mausoleum was his residence, which was on a small pond.  For an Israeli, the abundance or water even in the capital city was unexpected - something that I'm sure the Vietnamese take entirely for granted, though they clearly appreciate it, which is why the designers of the Temple of Literature included pools in the landscaping.