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Published: April 20th 2015
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Our train from Hanoi took 12 hours to reach Hue...and we arrived on time! I've been on many night trains from Saigon to Nha Trang in the last century...yes, that's like 15 years ago! Smile! So I was pretty happy to discover that the 4 sleepers carriages have been fully renovated. Nice!
Hue has the reputation to be a pretty cloudy place, with a lot of rain....well, we had one of those morning. On arrival, no rain, but full grey sky. We dropped our bags at La Residence. This must be the nicest place to stay in town. We just left them our bags, and came back later for a pretty nice lunch, having the restaurant only to ourselves!
This is my first visit to the Imperial City of Hue. This was the "capital" from around 1800 to 1945. The ground of the citadel are huge. Most have been destroyed by the war with the French in 1954, and again during the "American War" around 1968. So most of what you see has not be restored, but rather re-built. It was a very nice morning strolling around the Citadel. Fun also to bump in the
French couple with who we shared the cruise in Halong. I can tell you, it's a small world!
We may be riding the train from Hanoi to Saigon....but there is a small ride I'd rather take by car, and this is between Hue and Hoi An. This is just short of 150km...we could have take the train to Danang....but then, we would have missed the drive through the Hai Van pass, better known as the Pass in the Clouds, Le Passage dans les Nuages! This is one of those iconic drives in the world, and a first for three of us. The drive between Hue and Danang is pretty boring, but than there is the 20km in the hills just north of Danang.
The train is keeping it low, by crossing many tunnels. There is also a new tunnel on the Highway 1...you first take two small passes....but than all the trucks, busses and most cars are using the new tunnel. So the Hai Van pass is only for dangerous goods trucks...and many tourists....on four wheels, and also a lot of them on two wheels....this being Vietnam, I do refer to motorbikes and no
bicycles!
The Pass is actually the "weather border" between the North and the South of Vietnam....holding the clouds to the North. And indeed, it was pretty amazing....clouds and rain on one side, sunny on the other side...just like that! The ride is pretty amazing, specially when you get just below the clouds, pushed by the winds and looking like if they were licking the mountain. You see the green of the land, the blue of the sea, the clouds...and that road zigzagging like a snake in a sea of green. I can tell you, it's a pretty cool place! We stopped for a while at the Pass itself, enough time for a coffee for our driver, and for me to take few pictures.
By the time we reached Hoi An, it was already getting dark. We drove by the beach in Danang. I still need to figure out how people can come on holidays in Danang...there is a beach, there are two golf courses....and there is nothing else. Well, this is not true, there is gorgeous Hoi An, 30km from Danang. This is my second visit to Hoi An with the kids. This time,
we took it with the Saturday Night Fever feeling. This place is packed...and still gorgeous. The lights everywhere are just amazing. We had another nice dinner and spent some serious time walking the Old City in the evening. We are staying just outside of the city in the brand new Mercure, I can tell you, that was a cheap stay!
Next morning, the plan was to wake up early, have breakfast in the Old Town, and take few more pictures. But the rain had caught on us. Having seen Hoi An extensively already, we gave it a pass...and enjoyed our little room before taking a taxi for an early lunch in Danang. By the time we reached the train station, the rain was pouring, again! It as time to go south. This time, we had a soft seat coach. The train ride to Nha Trang is a good 9 to 10 hours. Well, that was not the best experience of the trip, but it has to be done. Vietnamese food can be pretty nice....here it was simply smelling horrible! And yes, Vietnamese, as the Chinese, have yet to learn that there is no need to shout in
a mobile phone....maybe one day...let's hope!
Next stop is just for the fun...less culture...and more sun!
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D MJ Binkley
Dave and Merry Jo Binkley
Hue
We enjoyed our time in Hue