Hi Ho Hue

The Citadel of Hue

In the rain

Tu Heiu Pagoda overlooking the Perfume River

From Hoi An to Hue was a very short trip on the bus, leaving at 8 AM and arriving at noon. Just a half hour out of Hoi An we stopped at Marble Mountain which is a huge escarpment of marble and a center of marble sculpture. Wisely the Vietnamese have chosen not to excavate any more of their marble and so most of the sculpture is from imported Chinese material. (Seeing this as an example, the present Chinese economic success will eventually bankrupt them of natural resources and probably lead to some serious problems.) Approaching the mountain the road is lined with shops selling beautiful carved Buddhas, goddesses, lanterns and other things to decorate your yard or temple. Had I my truck with me, I am sure I would have shopped for just the right piece for my patio. As it was I settled for a fist sized carved Buddha.

We arrived on schedule in Hue and I was hustled by one of the bus greeters to have a look at his hotel and that is where I am staying. It is actually fine and I the price does not reflect any commission paid to him as far as I can tell. As usual I am in the backpacker area so there are a lot of other tourists around and it is entertaining and enlightening the share road stories. For example the day I arrived i was speaking with a Canadian and a Brit who had arrived the same day but from Hanoi in the north. One had traveled by bus and the other by train and both had been delayed by about 14 hours due to flooding. That is the direction I am headed and I am happy that the flooding now has past. This was a result of a typhoon then in the Philippines and now in China.

I was lucky to meet an excellent tour guide here who has shown me around. We went the first day to the citadel which was the royal compound. Hue was the imperial capital of Vietnam from 1805 until 1945 and the kings built for themselves a private city to inhabit. One king would have several wives and as many as 200 concubines. Evidently the kings cared little for sleep. I expect there must have been a lot of people hired as nurses and diaper changers. My guide told me his great-great grandmother was the second wife of one of the kings and he referred to the palace as his ancestral home. During this time the French colonized Vietnam and there were frequent battles between the kings' forces and the colonists until the French finally had a puppet ruler installed on the throne.

The next day was an day long trip out of the city to the kings' tombs. Each king had a complete palace built for himself as a burial area. Prior to his death these palaces were places the royals would go for relaxation. The exact burial sites for the kings is unknown for fear that enemies might want to disturb the resting places.

I am declaring today a day of leisure. Having sightseen the important sights places I am looking forward to some leisure time along the beautifully named Perfume River. It is 730 in the morning and I am meeting some new friends for coffee at 830. Perhaps my plans will change after out meeting, but I do want to take it easy today.