The next day, Hue.
interesting art...
The poetic and beautiful Hue of Vietnam was chosen to be the capital of the Southern Kingdom under Nguyen Lords’ Dynasty, and officially became the nation's capital under Tay Son Dynasty, King Quang Trung. The citadel palace complex is located on the North bank of Huon River, inside Hue city. It is a huge complex covering an area of 520ha and comprising three circles of ramparts, Kinh Thanh Hue (Hue Capital Citadel), Hoang Thanh (Royal Citadel) and Tu Cam Thanh (Forbidden Citadel). It was said to be protected by the two sand dunes: The Con Hen and Con Da Vien on the Perfume River, as "dragon on the left, tiger on the right".
The Citadel
Out of the 148 original buildings, only 20 have survived.
Thai Hoa Palace, dating from 1883, where major ceremonies where held.
The Gate Keeper: He ain't f**kn about!
The Gym!
The Royal Reading Pavilion is a quite area surrounded by bonsai where Miguelito made a stop to study the next move.
The Royal Theatre is beautifully decorated
The Dragon Boat and visit to the Mausoleums
The Royal Mausoleums where built by the Nguyens in the valley of the Perfume River among low forested hills to the south of Hue. They can be visited on a tour boat or bus, where you going to be yet again pushed around like cattle or for a few dollars you can hire a boat for yourself and customise your own trip. My idea was to hire a bicycle, put it on the boat, go up the river and whenever we stop do some cycling to the temples... I suggested that to Damian and Ruth and they were quite happy to share a dragon boat.
After 2 hours at the citadel we have decided to do the boat trip on the same day so we could save a day and leave earlier.
Miguelito had a hard time to get a good deal but eventually made it.
Thien Mu Pagoda, found in 1661, is the oldest around Hue. On the top of a hill overlooking the river. Hit International headlines when one of the monks, Thich Quang Duc, burned himself to dead in Saigon in protest at the excesses of President Diem’s repressive regime.
The car the monk drove to Saigon. On the wall at the back, the picture of the monk in flames sitting by the car.
Whilst we visit the Pagoda, our hostess went to the market to get some ingredients to cook us lunch.
Back on the Dragon Boat for the next mausoleum.
Damien and Ruth are from London and have just been on a sailing boat for 4 months, from England crossing the Atlantic to the Caribbean, south to Brazil, across the Atlantic through SouthAfrica, through the Indian Ocean to Australia, finished somewhere in Asia (I can’t remember) and are now travelling southeast Asia. Their sailing experience before this trip? Zero! And they where Crew of the boat! They had a crash course and learned along the way with other people on the same situation. Only the Skipper is an experienced sailor. I asked them loads about their sailing trip. Miguelito is quite curious about it... I’ve got this thing of crossing the Atlantic Ocean on a sailing boat, no engine!
Preparing lunch... with the back of a hammer...
river boats
Cycling to Maosuleum of Tu Doc
Mausuleum of Tu Duc
Emperor Tu Duc was a romantic poet and a weak king, who ruled Vietnam from 1847 to 1883, and built harmonious of all the temples.
We hoped on our bikes and cycled there. It was a pleasant ride through a village and rice fields. There were dozens of minivans parked outside ready to be loaded with tourists. Not us! Eheh.
Back on the boat to visit the last Temple...
...the Mausoleum of Khai Dinh. The smallest of them all, set high up on the top of a hill, but quite charming. To be honest, at this stage of the day we were full of temples and stones. The moral was not the same also because we were bloody starving!!!
Offerings to Buddha
Don't really know who is this gentleman...
Food finally! Lunch is served! Cooked by our hostess, was delicious! Vietnamese spring rolls, noodles, pork, egg, rice and more rice.
After lunch our man asked us we wanted to go for a deep in the river. 'Of course!!!' The Brits went for the get-my-feet-wet option but wasn’t enough for sweaty, smelly me...
There! At the distance!! Under the sun...
The Gang!
This couple actually live on the boat with 2 children! It’s their home and they use it for work aswell. I learned this boat was built in 1978... my age!!! I wondered why it was such a great boat, now I know... ;)
Unfortunately I forgot their names, he was 40, she was 31. She could speak a little English. Just before we get back she invited me for dinner at the restaurant nearby where they moor the boat: She was determined to introduce me to her 21 year old sister and hook me up with her. eheh!
self portrait!
Yet again... one more enjoyable day...
