Early in the evening, friends drift onto the square in front of the Opera House, pull up small stools and settle in with coffee and street snacks. Across town, neighbors share tables over bowls of bánh đa cua, red rice noodles in crab broth, and talk jumps from table to table. In early summer, flamboyant trees blaze red along the streets and give everyone a new topic.
Away from the center, shophouses along the Tam Bạc River mix Vietnamese, Chinese and French styles, and boats leave for the karst islands around Cát Bà. Summers are hot and rainy, while winters turn cool and drier. A Local Friend walks beside you through the alleys, stopping wherever something catches your eye.
