Hue, loooong bus ride, Vietnam Capital 02.03.10 – 02.05.10

I actually really liked Hue and I wished I could have stayed there for longer than like 30 hours. I took the morning bus from Hoi An on the 3rd and intended to leave for Hanoi on the night bus on the 5th. But of course, regardless of how early I booked my ticket, there will always be complications. So I ended up having to leave the day after I arrived.

Hue was Vietnam’s capital for about 200 years, during the reign of the mighty Nguyen dynasty. They built a citadel on the north bank of the Perfume River of impressive breadth which nowadays is being used for housing and agriculture. I was amazed by how quiet the city is, both inside the citadel and by the river’s south bank where the hotels and entertainment are. Wondering through the city, I almost forgot that I was in the 13th most populous country in the world. The imperial palace reminded me of a smaller version of the Forbidden Palace in Beijing. It’s hard to resist a smirk upon seeing all the Chinese influence in the architecture and language. I spent a good chunk of the afternoon there, skipping out when the mass amount of tour groups started coming through.

I took a boat ride on the Perfume River the next day (yesterday) and saw the tombs of Mihn Mang (who had 330 wives, one for everyday of the year minus the weekends, and over 150 children) and that of Tu Duc (who was rumored to be impotent because of the sphyllis he contracted while involved with prostitute). They were very impressive and picturesque.

I hauled butt back to my hotel to finish packing before my bus came. That journey was a 16 hour trial, involving extremely loud Vietnamese drama, temperamental air conditioning, and a traffic jam at 5 in the morning (during which we all got out because it was stifling in the bus). On the plus side, I met 3 new friends, and we probably annoyed all the locals by our chattering in hte back. Now I’m in Hanoi, Vietnam’s capital. It’s much cooler here and even drizzling a little outside. I’ll probably spend the next 2 days in Halong Bay, the weather barring, before chilling in Hanoi until the 10th. Then it’s off to the Motherland! I’m very excited about seeing my family and spending New Years in China. Hanoi is all decked out with banners and red lanterns, with traditional sweets (and Communist caps – but whatever) being sold at every corner. China is going to be incredible, though I can’t help wondering what I’m gonna do there for a month. Figure out my life? Hmm….there’s a possibility….

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