Rain, Rain, Go Away (in Hue)!

It's been a little rainy here, but the city of Hue has treated us well for our brief stay here. We really enjoyed our final morning in Hoi An (and I did try the famous "White Rose" before I left...it was okay, but Cao Lau was definitely tastier), and then we got on the bus headed for Hue around 2pm on Tuesday. The drive was only about 4 hours, so not too bad, and it was actually a pretty crazy drive up the coast because we were able to see a lot of devastation from the recent typhoon as we drove. There was even a huge tanker that had been beached, and tons of sea walls and roads that had been pretty much ruined.

So, yes, I don't love our rainy days, but I'll take a few over experiencing the actual typhoon any day!

We got to the town of Hue (rhymes with "day") around 6pm or so, and we tried to navigate the dark, rainy streets to find a decent place to stay (without giving in to all the hawkers shouting at us to stay at their grimy hotels for too much money!). We finally found a great place called the "Sports Hotel" of all things, but there really isn't any sports paraphernalia or vibe to speak of...but, there are great, CLEAN, comforter-like blankets on the beds AND a shower curtain (that's something we haven't seen in ages)!. After we unpacked a little, we wandered for a little bit before having dinner and then just calling it a night.

Our 2nd day here was much better than the first. It's definitely not easy to adjust to a new city or town in the dark (not to mention the rain!), so my mood was much improved after a run along the Perfume River (they call it that because the water is "clean"...I'm not so sure the brown water suggests cleanliness, but that's the story anyway) and one of the canals that runs into it. It was really nice to be able to run without combating traffic, and there were lots of little sidewalks and paths along the waterways that let me zone out and just look at the people and places around me. For example, there are lots of really cool dragon boats here as well as many, many simple/precariously-built houseboats where people live on the canals. The town in general is a little waterlogged, like Hoi An was, but it seems like the rainy season is on its way out, so people are pretty hopeful that the water will dissipate soon.

After a good run, I showered, had some eggs, bread and fruit (new one to add to the list = mangos teen, SO GOOD!), and I tried to write out a "plan of attack" for sights to see in this old town.

To give you a little history: Hue was the capital of the Nguyen Dynasty, which dominated most of Southern Vietnam from the 17th to the 19th century. Hue was also the national capital until 1945, and during the Vietnam War it played a central role due to its location right near the border between North and South Vietnam. This city is also another UNESCO World Heritage Site and it has some really unique and interesting buildings, tombs, pagodas, and other architecture--this was a little bit of a great perk for us because we hadn't done much research and honestly had no idea what lay in store for us!

So, after a refreshing start with a new morning, I consulted the guidebook and a website or two before we rented bicycles and set out for a day of exploring. Not long after we started pedaling, a Vietnamese woman, Roy (I'm sure her name is actually a lot nicer and more feminine, but it sounded like Roy to me!), came up alongside us and struck up conversation. As she rode slowly by our sides on her moto, we were slowly "convinced" to ride along with her to see two of the best tombs (the Nguyen Emperors' tombs are some of the best relics here) in the city. She stuck with us for about 13km to get to the first tomb, that of Khai Dinh. It was a really gorgeous building, with dark grey, almost gothic architecture, on a big hill overlooking lots of lush green pine trees, hills, and misty skies. Around the tomb itself was some incredible mosaic work, and it definitely felt like we had stepped into a little palace that you'd never know existed if looking from the street.

After visiting tomb #1, Roy was patiently awaiting our return, and she led us via shortcut to the second tomb, that of Minh Mang. This tomb was older than the first, and it had completely different architecture, colors, and landscape than the first. There were really nice ponds on the grounds, lots of bright colors, windy white trees, and peaceful pathways to wander on. I'm going to try and put some pictures up of these two places so hopefully you will be able to see them both!

After exploring the two tombs for a little while, we got back on our bikes and Roy took us to her home. It was a very modest wooden house in a village on the river (she kept apologizing for its simplicity, and we couldn't reassure her enough!), and she served us tea with a really adorable porcelain tea set.

Roy and her husband are farmers and grow crops like peanuts, corn, beans, rice, and bananas on her mother-in-law's farm a few kilometers down the road from her place. She has a daughter and a son, 13 and 15 years old, and she has clearly worked hard for their education. Roy is pretty remarkable herself, as she has taught herself English by simply spending a few hours each afternoon (or as often as possible) talking to tourists on the river bank. She was unable to get much proper schooling because her family was too poor to send her to school for long, but she loves to learn. She kept thanking us for taking the time to talk with her, and we clearly enjoyed her and such a special afternoon in her home. It was also interesting and a little scary to hear her recount how the typhoon had impacted her village and the farmers' lives. The people here, just as so many places we've visited, are clearly tough and very resilient. I am, once again, definitely impressed.

After our time with Roy, we cycled back on our own to see the Thien Mu Pagoda, which is the largest pagoda in the city and its "official symbol." My favorite part of visiting this pagoda was seeing all the really young children in monk attire (some were probably only 8 or 9 years old!), with shaved heads and only one long tuft or lock of hair remaining. The kids were really cute, and they were running around as though they were late for class...hmmm...maybe all kids are the same after all!

We then cycled around the Citadel before returning our bicycles for the night and then found some satisfying food for dinner and tucked into bed.

Today has been a pretty rainy morning so far (hence the blog update already!), but I still got in a great run along the river, and I'm appreciating some time to catch up on picture sorting, uploading, etc. Then, tonight, we leave on another (GASP!) overnight bus that will take us up to Hanoi. It leaves around 5pm and gets to Hanoi about 6am tomorrow...oh mannnn. Sleeping pills, anyone?!

I hope everyone is doing well & getting a good dose of some fall colors, which I'm missing a little bit. Along with some cider...that sounds so good right now!

After Hanoi, we plan to go into the Northern part of the country, to Sapa, where there should be a little brisk, autumn-like weather, so that will be a nice? reminder of the Fall. Then again, I've never really liked being very cold, so maybe I should just get over it :)

Thinking of you all...