Hot & Sweaty in Hué

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Though we loved Hoi An we did have to keep moving and so we headed for Hué. The ride here was once again a real feast for the eye with imposing mountains, still bays and paddyfields as far as the eye could see.

Arriving here we quickly checked into a place with a fan and a private balcony and took refuge from the heat. Set on the Perfume River (named for the lillies and lotuses that used to line its banks), the ancient Imperial City of the Nguyen Dynasty and the Tombs of its Kings dominate the North side, Hué is a laid back City set in beautiful countryside.

The highlight of our stay here was a motorcycle tour we took with two great guys, Minh and Thu. Whilst zooming along we saw stunning vistas of the countryside; rural villages, forest trails, abandoned graveyards and great views of the river from all angles. They took us to temples and tombs of the ancient kings and a Buddhist Monastery set in the trees where we were able to watch a monk at prayer, and where Minh discussed his opinion on Buddhism in Vietnam with us. To finish we visited the Thanh Toan (Japanese Covered) Bridge. Set in a tiny village which seems an island in the paddyfields, the bridge itself is ornate and rather beautiful. The real sight to appreciate though is the surrounding village, complete with colouful temples and equally colourful villagers. Here we had the tastiest coffee we've had in the whole of SE Asia, and we met a crazy little old lady who wouldn't let anything get in the way of her afternoon beer. Hilarious! Our afternoon was just wicked, one of the highlights of the trip so far.

Right now we are sitting, sweating in a crapped out little internet cafe trying to do our best to avoid the heat, which seems to have even beaten the locals today. Tonight we catch the bus ride from hell, but we'll be in Ha Noi by morning - looking forward to it.

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Photos

Rice!
A paddyfield near the Japanese Bridge outside of Hue. It was so beautiful as the sun set and the rain clouds came in. And so cool to be zooming past it all on the bikes.