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Clad in our finest, we head for the World famous Water Puppetry theatre at the North end of Hoan Kiem Lake.

Our premium class tickets set us back $2 per head - front row seats in the middle.

To the left of the 'stage' (a pool of green water) is the band stand. The band pick up, the instruments creating a high pitched wailing accompanied by a tinny gong backbeat. The lead instrument - a wire connected to a lever - sings out a melody remarkably like a cross between an opera singer hitting the highest notes, and a highly strung violin.

The gongs and drums pick up a beat - and suddenly lights streak out under the water... Two Dragon puppets emerge with lit fire-crackers in their mouths!

We watch as stories unfold - scenes of farmers in the field battling rats, a procession of a Kings, peacocks mating...

Suddenly, Isobel  jumps out of her seat - hot on the trail of a guy who'd been sitting next to her - whispering urgently "He's taken my purse".

Outside of the auditorium curtains, I catch up with them on the stairs - Iso is asking a man whether he's seen her purse, he excitedly points at the door I've just exited sayng "inside, inside, on froor, on froor" and pushes past us, back into the autitorium.

We take a moment to try to work out what's happened. The chap she suspects is now back inside the theatre, apparently looking for the missing purse - I suspect he's gone to pretend he's 'found it'. But when we look inside, he has not returned to the seat at all.

Iso reckons he's the culprit, having seen him tying his shoelace moments before making for the door.

The commotion attracts a businessman who hears what has happened and alerts the theatre staff and a passing policeman. We wait for the performance to end, hoping to catch the villain on the way out. The problem is, the Vietnamese look very similar and it has all happened too quickly for us to recognise him. We also have no idea whether there is another exit, or the staff are in on a scam...

The crowd filters out - I believe I see the man, looking nervously at us as he passes by and off down the stairs, but can only eye him suspiciously.

We're losing hope when an Australian lady calls out "Anyone lost a wallet?"

So, she and her husband (plus a few others) saw the man in the middle of the theatre counting some money and disposing of the wallet on the floor just before the end of the show.

We reclaim the purse, cards intact, and a mere $20 missing.

From this point on, everything is locked down, and regrettably the locals are viewed with suspicion.

Not an auspicious start to our 'Nam tour. But what we saw of the puppets was good!

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