6. HUE FAMILY BUSINESS

ON THE RAIL AGAIN; From Ha Long Bay, back to Ha Noi and on to central Vietnam by night train. We shared a cabin with a very friendly Africana couple who were about the same age as ourselves. Off the train at around 9:30 am the next day and we negotiate with a "taxi" driver for a reasonable rate to take us to our hotel, turns out he is just a man with a car... No problem.

Right in the middle 

7 DOLLERS PER NIGHT; Our stay in Hue (pronounced "hway") is just two nights and Alexandra had booked a VERY cheap hotel. We were a little nervous... What could we expect for $7 per night? Up an alley we find our hotel, a family run business like so many businesses in Vietnam. Very pleasant people with limited English. Our room was small but not to small. It had a little balcony, a TV, an old air conditioner and two fans. Oh, and of course a little bathroom with a shower in the middle so the whole floor gets wet when you wash. Not the Ritz but plenty good enough for a short stay. I'd say we got good value for our money.

Not too shabby for $7 per night... Simple but plain... 

The hotel lobby and family room

THE MIDDLE CHILD; Hue is pretty much in the middle of Vietnam and was the national capital until from 1802 to 1945, when Emperor abdicated and a communist government was established in Hanoi. If there is one place you dont want to be in a war (as if there is any place you want to be in a war), its the middle. The 1968 country wide Tet Offensive, when the Viet Cong rose up and began to change the course of the war. The VC took Hue from the US forces for 28 days. They arrested and executed thousands of residents for collaborating with the enemy. The US responded by B52ing the place to smithereens, then napalm, and house to house fighting their way back into control. Many buildings bear the scares... but many civilians died in the fighting.

Machine gun vestiges 

OUT INTO THE MIDDAY SUN WE GO;

Dragon boat for two... Got us across the Perfume river to the market... 

But not exactly the type of market we were looking for...

Needs a lot of perfume

Another cyclo ride.  We did feel sorry for our rider.  It was 36 degrees celcius and though he was my age, he didn't look a day under 60.  

Big old bonsai.  In fact I've never seen so many bonsai as in this country.  

CAFE ON THU WHEELS - 2 MOTORBIKES, 2 GUIDES, 5 HOURS, $10 EACH; What a great day... despite the rain, we still had a great time scooting around the country with another family business. Father fought with the VC and was killed by a landline. Mother was left to raise 9 children. When Vietnam opend it's borders to western tourism in recent decade or so, families like the Thu family looked for ways the support themselves on tourist dollars. Buy a cyclo and start a transport service... Scale up with a second. Later a motorbike and eventually, a cafe. Oh, and a Kia to add to the fleet. Now they have a complete package to offer.

Beef noodle Pho, the Best way to start the day at the Cafe on Thu Wheels

 

Away we go

Covered bridges of Hue county...

 

"Why won't you try my free beetelnut?"

En-chanting???

Abandoned bunkers hidden in the woods, 

First the French, then the Americans

Storm clouds over the Thien Mu pagoda

Palace pleasure guarden 

And then the rains came... 

Lotu leaves on the pond 

 

 

The Citadel.  An enormous complex mostly in ruins.  

After the war the Communists didn't want to spend money restoring it because it represented past feudal power which was at odds with communist manifesto... Recently they have had a change of heart realizing the tourist dollar potential.  

Hue speciality, deep fried savory pancakes

We decided to cash in our train tickets and be driven to Hoi An which included a number of sight seeing stops along the way.  Thanx Minh

American war vestiges

Marble mountain temple in a cave.  

Alexandra actually came into this enormous cave. She had read about the ladies that offer to help you with their torches... And then insist on $20 for their generosity... So she was prepared wit the little Photon light at the ready. "not thanx, we have our own". Worked a treat.

 

China beach

Keep smiling

We are in Hoi An

Love-you-bye

Lloydnalex

 

 

 

 

 

 

"Let the reader use discernment"