No way...Hue!!

Entry 11:

We learned from other backpackers about the overnight sleeping buses that run from Hanoi to Saigon with stops along the way. These buses are configured so that each individual has their own "lounge chair" for sleeping on long trips. We booked 2 tickets from Hanoi to Hue on an overnight trip that was supposed to last about 12 hours. During our last hours in Hanoi that night, the sky opened up and began pouring rain. We needed to walk through calf-high water just to reach the bus. Needless to say, we boarded the bus in bad spirits.

After a badly needed shower at the hotel, we walked over to the citadel to view the impressive grounds. Hue was a former capitol of many Vietnamese dynasties. The citadel is an example of some of its palacial architecture.



We left the citadel and headed to a Buddhist temple about 4 km outside of town. After taking our shoes off and entering, we heard chanting coming from inside. We peaked in and saw a group of young Buddhists dressed in yellow or white robes with mostly shaven heads chanting in unison.



Because it was drizzling when we left the temple, we waited under a tent near some vendors for a taxi. We waited and waited, but no taxis came and the rain began falling even harder. We finally gave up waiting and began to walk only to be greeted by the ever present "hello, motorbike?" Four kilometers later, we disembarked our motorbikes at the hotel, soaked to the bone, but happy to be in a dry place. For a change of pace, we decided to try Indian food across the street from our hotel. It was a nice alternative to 2 weeks of Vietnamese food.

We awoke the next morning to even more rain than the night before. Fortunately, our hotel had internet and between the blackouts we decided to update the blog. Around lunch time, the rain slowed to a drizzle and we walked next door to Friendly restaurant. The menu at Friendly featured many local specialties all of which were really delicious. It was so good we decided to return there for dinner. Some of the dishes we tried included the following:

• Banh Nam (Leaf wrapped nam cake = mix of rice flour, shrimp, and herbs inside a leaf. Dipped in spicy sauce).
• Banh Cuon Rau (Thick spring rolls with vegetables)
• Bo Nuong La Lot (Beef grilled over charcoals, wrapped in lot leaves)
• Cha Ca Thet lat kho to (Vietnamese fish dish, pounded and formed into balls)

Between meals we got the chance to wander the streets and visit a handicraft center where we purchased a hand woven silk art piece. It was more expensive to ship with the frame, so we took the art piece and mailed it frameless. As mentioned before, we returned to the same restaurant for dinner. During our entire meal we spoke with the restaurant's owner, a local motorbike driver who offered us to join him on his "Easy Rider" tour down to Hoi An.

Even though we didn't spend a lot of time in this charming town, we definately found it to be a great place to visit, particularly after spending time in Hanoi. We were struck by the "laid back" manner of the locals and never felt bombarded with requests for motorbikes or other ways in which we could spend our money.

We took the bus for three hours rather than the Easy Rider option...