Hue

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Thank goodness that’s the last of the sleeper trains. Neither of us slept very well - it was a bumpy journey, and the driver had a novel way of stopping at stations ... he just seemed to slam the brakes on, which made you cling on for dear life! We were also a tad worried that we would disturb Didier and Cecile ... I was most amused the next morning when John said he hadn’t slept a wink all night - just after Didier had been telling me he sounded like a 747 taking off! We dropped our bags off at another lovely hotel. Unfortunately, another building had been erected a foot away so the view from our window (and balcony) was a rather full on breezeblock wall!

We visited the Imperial Citadel in the morning, a huge complex of flag towers and palace buildings which is in the process of being restored to its former glory. Very Chinese in style with beautiful details everywhere and lots of red and gold.
The temperature when we left Hanoi was 81 degrees - we’ve been told it will be approx 91 in Saigon, and it honestly felt it was that, or more(!), in Hue. Everyone on the tour thinks we’re better off where we are - there are arctic like snow storms in Canada. I confess that when we were told we had a 15 minute walk to the restaurant for lunch, I decided a nice restful ride on a cyclo was a much better idea.

We had lunch in a Rough Guide recommended restaurant, Lac Thien, where the food was described as ‘awesome’. The walls and ceiling are covered in graffiti from previous travellers. The owner is a deaf mute whose party piece is opening several bottles of beer with beer openers he has made from strips of wood and a bolt - we were given one as a souvenir when we left, the idea being that you take photos of using your opener in different places and send the photo back.

After a quick lunch, we went for a relaxing ride in a “Dragon Boat.” First stop, a 150 year old pagoda and monastery, it was a monk from here that famously set himself alight in protest at American and French suppression of Buddhism during the Vietnam conflict.

Back on the boat for a while and on to Tu Duc Tombs - a vast memorial complex to independent Vietnam’s last emperor, who started the project himself. It was a shame we couldn’t have stayed longer here as it very serene.

After having a quick lesson on how to make incense sticks, we gratefully sank into a taxi back the Hue and the hotel. We passed a woman cycling along with baskets of live ducks on the back and front of her bike - the poor ducks looked like they were rather enjoying their journey ... to the market.

Another lovely evening meal (yep - that diet seems further away than ever!), before we went to bed early to catch up on our sleep.

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Comments

[Dani]

Ipswich
That dragon detailing beats the ones in Ipswich! x

[Maureen Staines]

Heat in Hue
The heat - no sleep - lovely everything else - hope Valerie's feeling better - can't bear to think of the cats and dogs - my sister brought a dog back to England from a market in Hong Kong - quarantine at great expense, oh the western sensibility. Your blogs are amazing Val - thank you for them. I look forward to the book when you return. Yours in admiration of your intrepidation.