Hue

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The 5 hour long bus trip to Hue was relatively painless and we checked into a nice family run guesthouse (where the owner brought me a portable tv just so that I could watch the footy).

Hue is a really pretty and relaxing city situated astride a river and with loads of trees everywhere. However, even with the breeze from the river and shade from the trees it was still horrendously hot which made exploring somewhat tiring.

On our first full day we wandered around the central part of the city inside the city-walls which is known as the citadel. Within the citadel is another walled area called the Imperial Enclosure which was originally for the emporor's official functions (such as entertaining his concubines in an area called the Forbidden Purple City where only eunuchs were allowed as they posed no threat to the concubines). Unfortunately, due to American bombing, the Imperial Enclosure is mostly rubble and is consequently fairly dull for those of us without a good imagination.

Hue is supposedly a famed culinary city "setting the trend for Vietnamese cooking" since Emporor Tu Duc demanded 50 dishes prepared by 50 cooks and served by 50 servants at each meal. However, the food I had didn't really justify the hype and left me slightly disappointed - I've had much better food elsewhere in Vietnam.

The highlight of the stay was a moto tour around the surrounding area. The area is very picturesque and green, and the moto rides through rice-paddies in between stops were almost as enjoyable as the stops themselves. We visited several tombs of the rulers of the Nguyen dynasty (1802-1945) which were all pretty impressive. We also stopped by a pagoda just in time to watch the monks arrive for their lunchtime ceremony which was really interesting, although I felt slightly voyeuristic watching from such a short distance away as they conducted an important daily ritual (it didn't stop me from taking a load of photos though).

A fun part of the day was when we stopped for a break from the heat under a breezy coverred bridge where the local farmers were also resting. The elderly locals looked on inquizitively as we invaded their space, but we were made to feel welcome as they chilled out and traded gossip while it was too hot to work. One woman took a keen interest in us and was happy to practice her english (her husband had been an American soldier) as well as her fortune telling skills. I declined to have my palm read after she predicted that our guide (who informed her that he was single) would have 5 children in the next few years. That sort of fortune I can do without!


Our last day was spent doing some admin stuff (getting visa extensions, updating blog etc) and preparing for the 14hr bus trip up to Hanoi where it will hopefully be a bit cooler.

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Comments

[Hannah M]

Hanoi
Enjoy Hanoi mate - we much preferred it to Ho Chi Minh. Some good little places to eat and more friendly. Not sure what your itinerary is but if you get a chance head out to Halong Bay - if the weather's good it'll be great. Keep enjoying it! Hx