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Published: July 26th 2005
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Before climbing into the airport shuttle I got talkin' to a friendly German (Claus) and his sweet YOUNG Saigon girl, Mai....(Yes, he's far greater in years and ....greater in economic status...such are the pairings of the world....tis a theme....the emperor can have many wives.....)We were due to depart (via Vietnam airways) the oppresive Hanoi sun bound for yet more oppressive heat in Hue. I'm feeling feint and dizzy and am told its just the local coffee....
Hue, located in central Vietnam, is the famous former (imperial) capital of Vietnamm.
A taxi ride later (with an English couple (Gavin and Helen)) and after checkin' in to the immaculate and sun drenched Binh Duong II guesthouse (10$), I'm headin' over Phu Xuan bridge downtown to the citadel and to see the forbidden purple city. Yes, they have a forbidden city too and within it stood the imperial enclosure reserved for the private life of the emperor. The only servants that were allowed inside were eunochs. Why? Because they would pose no threat to the royal concubines!......."Oh to live the life of an emperor!", I hear you exclaim?
Next day And....
"...No!" comes the rebuke. "I tell you that
my wives are more troublesome than all the affairs of state...They are constantly plotting against each other accusing each other of this and that and I must be the final arbitrator! Yet I cannot refuse these offers of wives from my Lords as it is an honour for them to have their daughter to be part of the Royal household....It is such a burden for me...".....
"Buy these books, Mr.!" says the young girl. But I don't and put the book down....We are on the perfume river tour (3$) which stops at the Tombs of various emperors of Vietnamn......
"How long are you touring for?", I inquire of Greg who I recognise from Luang Prabang....
"About two years", he replies. "Well we are going to work in Austrailia too...We are in advertising and..."....
..we stop at Thien Mu Pagoda....listen to some gongs.....and see the car that Thich Quang Duc used before he publicly burned himself to death in 1963 to protest the policies of President Diem (of southern Vietnamn) ...
TU DOC
A few of us (English girls and guy) skip the Tu Doc tomb (due to the heat and the long motorcyle ride)
and share fruit sold by a Vietnamese family near the river bank. I enjoy some conversation with the very affable Austrailian, Ann. who is of Vietnamese/Chinesse descent.
Hon Mien
Back on the boat, I get the beginnings of a migraine. My vision goes but, determined, I pay the fee to enter the hon mien temple...God, I'd love to collapse into that golden hammock right now..or share the seraphic bliss of those angles in Nirvana. And a bite to eat - the shrine has offerings for the ancestors - do you think someone wanted to leave some pork for Grandad?
Khai Dinh tomb
"20,000 Mr.!", I agree and we are booting it through the countryside past rise paddies to the Khai Dinh tomb. 50,000 entry fee later and I get to check if the statues are faithful representations of Eunochs. They indeed are, these are not the elgin marbles. A French canadian couple concur.
Minh Mang tomb (1820-1840)
Next to the Minh Mang tomb. The English girls are going to this one. Ann talks and gets in on the cheap because she's Vietnamese..
"Tell them you're from the North of England and they let you
in for half price!" I joke to the English girl.
But the humour is wasted, She's mortally offended......"I'll have you know that I am a professional", she says snobily.
"I don't know what she is saying", says Ann.
"The vietnamese girl has offered me a plastic bag with some type of food wrapped in leafs"
I cave in, like I usually do, and bravely bite at it in front of the curious onlookers on the boat...
"Hmmm...not bad", I say. It's white and chewey and there is some type of fish inside. It is then that I receive
a spout of corporeal/corporal admonishment, more accurately, should I say, chastisement, as my body is convulsed with the foulness of what I have just consummed and leaves me silent and limp for the return journey to the hotel..
After a long sleep and a feeling a little better...My mind daren't even return to the abominal image that is the foul food and when it does my stomach aches.....In response I line it with fresh fruit at the Stop and Go cafe and make friends with Thien, a tour guide and his sisters.
Thien tells me of the hardships of
life for the poor in Vietnamn. "Cyco driver...very poor ...maybe 1-2$ in a day...eat just some rice, vegetable and drink some tea...no coca cola....if no problem saves in one year 30$"..."After the war very hard...especially people with South Vietnamn....my boss....his wife have four children together.....she forget vietnamn she go to USA with children and American man....my boss very very sad long time.."
We share some jokes. One of Thien's sisters is already married but he jokes that we might just be able to seal a deal for me...I take the photos and smile...but this emperor is not adding to his harem tonight...
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Peter
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I was cheated at Light Star Hotel too.
I was cheated at Light Star Hotel too.