PicsFromTrips

Next I took a bus over Hai Van pass up to Hue After visiting Hoi An I got another early morning start, this time a bus that took me up the coast to Hue. The bus route followed along the coast through Da Nang and on to Hue. I only planned a short stop in Hue, as I was using the airport to get me further North (rather than going back through Da Nang) and as such I only had one afternoon to spend in Hue. I checked into yet another hotel recommended by fellow travelers that I had met on the Mekong Delta trip and made a plan to head out, grab some lunch, and visit one of the many sights the town has to offer. When I left my hotel, directly across the street a woman at a cafe waved me over (pretty common in Vietnam) asking me to sit. She seemed much less aggressive than most shop owners, and she was holding a little baby, so I took her as more mellow and less in a sell sell mode. I sat and we talked for a while and eventually she convinced me to not only eat in her cafe but to take a motorbike tour of the city. The motorbike driver and I started off at around 1PM and were sightseeing until 6PM or so. He took me around the countryside, checking out the many temples, the local villages, and other sights, like old war-time bunkers and memorials. Among the most memorable are the old Royal grounds of the forbidden city within the Citadel and the Tomb of Tu Duc, one of the rulers from the past. We eventually returned to the cafe where I had a beer or two while I wrote in my journal and chatted with a few travelers but then I opted to go someplace else for dinner (as I needed to get away from the "travelers") though I was not too happy with my choice.. ah well, win some, lose some.