Bia Hoi

wikipedia....

Bia hơi, (usually translated "fresh beer"), is a type of draft beer popular in Vietnam^[1].

Bia hơi is available throughout Vietnam. It is mostly to be found in small bars and on street corners. The beer is brewed daily and each bar gets a fresh batch delivered every day in plastic jugs. It is a very light (~3% alcohol) refreshing lager at a fraction of the cost of draft or bottled beer in the Western-style bars. Bia hơi production is informal and not monitored by any health agency.

Dani....

............and quite possibly one of the most fun ways to spend an early evening in Vietnam!

Now by a pure stroke of luck our hotel just happens to be 2 doors down from Bia Hoi Corner in the Old Quarter.

So we did what all responsible parents with young children should do and took them to sit on a ubiquitous red stool and watch the world go by while drinking beer. (us, not the kids)

The shops start with one row of little stools and tables and they are just added and added as people arrive, eventually turning the intersection into a significantly smaller one by the end of the night.

Now I am pretty sure that if you sat on one of those stools long enough you would literally see everything that Hanoi's street life has to offer.

The kids had a small amount of money each and ended up buying t-shirts and doughnuts from the comfort of their corner.

Of course their mere presence tended to cause a bit of traffic chaos but they are fairly used to it now.

They love trying to figure out what they can afford (not much usually.  Christopher has 25 cents there and Scarlett even less!)

This recreational activity is most certainly not just for tourists.  Bia Hoi is huge in Hanoi but much seems less popular in HCMC. Not sure why.  You still see it around but not to the degree that you see it here.

Quiddy flashing the cash!

I cannot believe that someone has not swiped that womans handbag!

As for the beer?  Very nice indeed!  Low alcohol and low price.  To tell you the truth I was expecting to pay more.  4 beers sitting on the street corner....$1USD.......An hour of watching the hustle and bustle of Vietnam pass you by...priceless!