Hue

22 – 23 July 2011

A bit more of a chat with the local lady from Cam Lo before heading away to Hue.  Kind of awkward broken chatting.  A lot about her kids and how many grandkids she has, a rundown on her American boyfriend wanting her to go back to the US with him but her parents not letting her and some about her husband who was killed crossing the road by a drunken truck driver.  Man a pretty interesting run of life!

One of the early milestones for Ho Chi Minh.
A wee way to go.

Came across this large grave and memorial site for those
who died during the war on my way to Hue.

Stand your ground and take!

More Big C Supermarket action in Hue and the frenchstick wars continued, it’s great entertainment!  One kid was grabbing batch after batch coming off the trays and stacked up two baskets full while everyone looked like they were getting a bit pissed with her, classic greedy frenchstick gabbing situation.  The following day when I went back for some more (think I might soon become an obsessed frenchstick person too!) there was an old lady checking all the sticks and trying to find the perfect one, I think frustrating the baker who was bagging them with her fussiness.  It seems to be an artform with choosing frenchsticks but when they are going hot it’s just go for gold.

Other happenings at Big C. Free internet games to entertain kids in the  food court.
NZ is so behind the times, we don't even have free internet!

Anyway enough about frenchsticks, but if you come to Vietnam go to a Big C Supermarket at 8pm and just sit by the bakery and wait for the mayhem.

Just inside the old city, with the Forbidden City
behind the camera

Alright! Hue.  A nice city and quite a lot of history in this place.  When arriving into Hue from the north you ride past the old city which is surrounded by massive wall and moat.  There are a series of entrances through grand archways and once on the inside it’s all city as normal quite a funny contrast.  Within in the old city is the Forbidden Purple City, which again has a moat and wall surrounding it.  This was a very sacred place and was unfortunately heavily bombed during the war so many buildings destroyed.  However, many have been preserved, restored and maintained over the years as well.

Tombs of the Nguyen Emperors.  I think there are seven of these scattered around the countryside and I headed out on my bike to find them.  A bit more of a mission than I expected as there is next no signage to direct you to them.  Maybe a trick to get tourists to have to use guides.  Anyway found the Khai Dinh Tomb and man it was an impressive memorial!!  55,000VND which was about double or a bit more than all the other attractions I had been too but had to check it out after finally finding something.

Khai Dinh Tomb:

At midnight on a full moon these guys come alive.

Headed off to the Minh ManhTomb.  Got confused, lost, wrong road and then following the sign I finally found I still missed it and was told I was heading towards Laos.  Hmmmm.  Anyway parked up the bike at some guys café and he said I just walk around to entrance.  A nice wee wander through the “bush” around the external wall to the entrance and… another 55,000VND, man this is going to be an expensive day!  Decided to flag that one and walked back.  Noticed a couple places that I’m sure people had scaled the wall and gone around for free.  One was some fat bamboo branches leaning against the wall to walk up and the other a series of sticks jammed in the wall where it had cracked so it was like steps.  I clambered up and got wee look into the area but wussed out on jumping over.  Damn conscience was thinking what if I couldn’t get back out and what would happen if I got caught.  Sight-seeing has taught me that a lot of temples, pagodas and probably tombs are all very similar so I had done my tomb – which was similar to a temple anyway.

The Forbidden City cost 55,000VND as well so I saved my money for that.  Had to see what it was all about and it looked so mysterious from the outside.  Loads of temples, houses, halls and gardens and the barren sites where buildings were destroyed. 

One of the entrances into the Old City

Entrance to the Forbidden Purple City.
This is where the Emperor would sit and look over everyone during ceremonies 

 

His view

Looking into the Forbidden City

9 massive urns symbolising something that I have forgotten

Me being very spiritual

ROAR!!!!

The rear of the city where many of the buildings were destroyed from the war

Bombed

Site of the The Chanh Palace.  The most impressive building of the Forbidden City and it was destroyed during the war