Hot in the Imperial City

Just thought I'd give you a quick update before I finish packing and head off on the night train to Hanoi.
I've just spent a couple of days in the old Imperial City Hue. The sun has been shining and its hot in the city!
Sabine and I arrived the day before yesterday (what day is it today?!) after catching the local bus then train from Hoi An which was a beautiful place.
Yesterday was spent wandering around the old citadel, much of which was decimated by bombs during the American War - or 148 buildings, just 20 still stand. It was great in the old city as no hawkers or traffic are allowed and so we got a couple of hours of totalo peace and quiet.
We'd had a cyclo ride around the outside of the walls which was comedy and I will post pics as soon as I can find a computer that works properly.. difficult in this country!
The first night we ate in a backpacker cafe called the Cafe on Thu Wheels - after the owner Ms Thu. They were playing some cool tunes, but the food was a little dissapointing. I had tuna steak and veg she just had strir fried veg.. as she ws feeling a little queezy after some food we bought on the train.
Last night was much better, dinner at the Mandarin Cafe or a local speciality - crepe filled with squid, shrimps and beansprouts. Yum. The owner is a local photographer and the walls were adorned with shots from around the country, there were really great shots and had I not done so much shopping in the tailors in Hoi An I would've been more tempted.
Today I took a tour up to the DMZ - Demilitarized Zone, or no man's land. The landscape reminded me of Norfolk as it was the flatest I've seen here - again because of all the bombs that dropped. I was robbed of $12 for the 1/2 day trip which consisted of driving past a few places in a bus and trying to get photos out the window. We only made two stops in the morning... one at a big statue for the North Vietnamese Army, the other and the Vinh Moc tunnels. Like the Cu Chi tunnels in the south, but these housed a whole village during the war. We went about 25 metres below the surface in these dark tunnels, but you could at least stand up straight (well I could, the 6'2'' chap behind me had back ache when we emerged again) They lived down there for the best part of 6 years and 17 children were born. They showed us the family rooms which slept 4 people.. they were no bigger than 3feet wide and about 5feet long. There were also maternity rooms, health rooms, three wells and a meeting room where they watched movies and taught the children. Can't imagine what it must've been like living down there for so long.
Breakfast and lunch were spent at the crapest cafe I've been to yet. My chicken noodles were swimming in murky liquid and the chicken was covered in fat.. oh and the noodles were like supernoodles.. needless to say I'm still hungry!
The rest of the group had booked the full day tour so stayed on the air conditioned bus, while I was packed off in a local van which was suppoed to be a bus for the hour and half ride back to the city. Every few yards we stopped and random people piled more things inside.
I was given the honour of sitting in the front seat next to the driver, with no seatbelt and convinced I was going through the windscreen on more than one occasion.
Anyway I am back safe and have been to book my ticket for tonight's sleeper train for the 15 hour journey to Hanoi.. can't wait!
So I must pack and check out and ensure I don't miss the train as it's cost me a 15quid, by far the most expensive journey to date.
Apols for any spelling mistakes but I am trying to be quick! Will be back to fill in the gaps from Nha Trang and Hoi An when I get to Hanoi.
It's Uncle Ho's birthday and Buddha \'s birthday too in the next couple of days, so lots of festivals are being prepared for. Hopefully I'll get some good photos in Hanoi to share with you all.
Thanks for all the comments and messages.. much love xxx

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