Vietnam, Part 3: Hue

This post describes my time in Hue. I had just two nights in this town and there is a LOT of history to take in so I stayed busy. I enjoyed wandering by the river, a great sushi restaurant (two meals!) and checking out the night market in addition to all of the historical sites.

I spent a few hot days trekking all over the town and I only made it to a few of the many enormous historical sites (The Citadel, Tomb of Minh Mang and Thien Mu Pagoda). Since most of the things to see are also huge spaces in which to walk around, this is a place where you get your exercise as you take it all in! To save my feet in between monuments I took a bicycle taxi, river cruise and motorbike taxi to get around.

Dragon detail at the Citadel 

I was really into all the arches at the Citadel

I woke up early to get to the Citadel before the heat, but by early April the hot season was already settling into Vietnam. Lots of water, sunglasses, a hat and sunscreen are recommended if you visit this time of year!

An iced coffee break at the Queen's Room

So this is a thing...you can rent the traditional costumes and dress up and have your photo taken. It seemed popular among young Vietnamese couples. This pair was delighted when I asked if I could take their photo.

Stunning architecture that was NOT destroyed by war bombs (a lot of the palace was)

Close up of detail

During the hottest part of the day I trekked around the Tomb of Minh Mang. There were a lot of stairs! I also enjoyed a fresh coconut in the shade and watched butterflies play on the lake. 

Sun or sun, climbing stairs!

It was too hot for much lunch, so I had snacks and drank lots of water as I explored each of these spots. I enjoyed my motorbike taxi because the breeze was refreshing (and a helmet was worn).

Part of Thien Mu Pagoda; a restful stop compared to the rest of my day.

To end my day I decided that I had to try the Dragon Boats that cruise the river. It took some haggling to get a decent fare back to the center because most people rent the boats for the entire day. It was not exactly a glamorous ride, but it was a nice change of pace and the dragons sure do look cool.

Boat ride back to the center...where I could hop off and have a rest in my room before dinner.

The next challenge of the trip was to figure out transportation from Hue to Hoi An... I had heard there was a train and a bus, and lots of people also hire private cabs. Find out which option I went with next week! 

New Old Favorite:

I have been a Pixies fan for years. Read about and listen to their new album here.

Interesting Article of the Week:

Does your moral compass change when you are operating in a second language? Studies say yes... Find out why here.