Lazy day in Hue

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After getting sunburnt careering around on the back ofa motorbike yesterday I've decided to have a day with no trips at all. And to walk 3km to the train station to buy my ticket to Da Nang (for Hoi Anh) next week. This way I avoid paying a $2 booking fee for a $2.50 ticket!! All well and good if you don't get hijacked by a mad cyclo driver who pedals you there for $2!!! I insist on walking back but agree to going on his fathers boat trip up the Perfume River tomorrow.

Once at the station booking office I notice a mirror and a fish tank in close proximity - this is odd because Ha Noi booking office has the same thing. I must find out the significance of a fish tank and a mirror in the booking halls of train stations.

I spot an absolutley beautiful girl sat at a stall selling Oolong and Jasmine tea - with free samples! So over I go and sit down for some tea which is made in one pot then transferred via a strainer into another pot that has just been submerged in very hot water to warm it properly - the tiny thimble like cups get the same warming treatment and I'm soon slurping away on the old oolong - sounds rude doesn't it? This girl has to be the best looking Vietnamese girl I've seen so far so after catching flies for 10 minutes I buy a box of oolong tea and tell her she'd make someone a good wife - she smiles but I know she hasn't a clue what I've just said - shame!

Overall I'm not that impressed with vietnamese women looks wise and find that the better looking girls look to be of chinese descent - and they really are stunning! Many women here wear the long silk trousers that sit almost at the midriff and the long silk figure hugging split at the sides type of blouses/shirts or whatever they're called.

I walk back all the way along the river bank fending off moto and cyclo drivers keen to take me anywhere and everywhere for as much money as they can get me to part with. One even offered to take me to my hotel for 30000 dong (about a pound) when I was 60 seconds walk away from it - 'it very far, I take you' I laugh confidently and tell him it's around the corner - he drops the price to 15000 dong and I walk away at this point smiling at him knowingly.

Well as I failed dismally in my quest to get pissed yesterday I'm off for an afternoon in a quiet bar sitting in the shade with a nice cold beer! That's all for today folks as Bugs Bunny would say.

Tomorrow the boat trip and the day after I visit Khe Sanh and Lang Vei by motorbike - I might regret going so far on a bike but it's cheaper than taking an expensive trip and seeing a load other stuff you didn't want to see!

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Comments

[david cameron]

hello intrepid explorer
Glad you are enjoying the sights Nige! miserable weather here wind, torrential rain , 1 in the afternoon and dark as fuck, lovely. Andreas kids away so staying in tonight with some wine, a take away and a DVD, take care mate.

[Dunk & Debs]

Sunny Sunday Afternoon's
Didn't take you long to start eyeing up the ladies, debs says she's looking forward to meeting your new wife when you get back ;-)... Hope the boat trip goes well, should be a nice vue, i hear the purfume river is awsome. Sounds like your getting to grip with the local custom of "ripping off the white man"... Dealt with a class B grower who came from HUE yesterday!!! beware of tattoo'd men, tats mostly prison issue in Da Nam so i'm told. Looking forward to hearing about Da Nang and what its like post conflict and all that, have a beer of two for us Laters Dunk N Debs

[Wilf]

risky
you watch out, or you could come back with a new wife!!!!

[Mike]

How happy are you!!!
Sounds like you're having an awesome time and thoroughly enjoying yourself mate! its making me hungry (sort of) just reading some of your posts :-) Anyway, make the most out of it, you dont do these things too often! Let me know if there's anything I can do regarding the house. Catch up soon, Mike.

[Paul V]

Loving the commentry
Glad things are starting to work ok with you having that rocky start ( phone / camera etc.) The descriptiions are amazing that you are doing , and am glad to see you are managing to keep off the beer most of the time. Maybe I need to take a leaf out of your book here and try going around Dubai on motorbike - then again maybe not. You take you life in your hands with the Taxis. Looking forward to the photos - any chance of getting them up-loaded?