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This next section is best done in daylight as it is probably the most scenic section of the whole journey from Saigon to Hanoi. This part of line hugs the coast and provides glorious views out to sea as the train hugs the hillsides.
Due to the nature of the terrain, I doubt we got much over 50kph, so it was delightful to sit back and enjoy the views as we went through the Hai Van Pass.
Welcome to Hue - humidity ~ 90%
Check into another delightful French Colonial Hotel, then a short stroll to lunch at the DMZ Bar (DeMilitarised Zone)
Next up was a leisurely cruise up the Perfume River to the ...
... Thien Mu Pagoda
Built in 1601, this pagoda's name translates as The Pagoda of the Celestial Lady. More info: Thien Mu Pagoda
This bell was cast in 1710. It weighs 3.2 tonnes and can be heard 10 kms away.
This is a functioning monastery with monks and initiates
Some beautiful garden settings with model animals and people in bucolic settings
To end the day, we all had a cyclo ride to a restaurant where we were to become local nobility for the evening. (There will be a video link coming of this ride - yet to be edited)
This gives a new meaning to the word 'exposed' when it comes to being in traffic. In this position, you're always the first on the scene of the accident!
King Phillip and Queen Loretta with General Factotum and Court Jester Zen
Above: A fine upstanding group of royalty and court hangers-on
Left: A couple of obviously lower class blow-ins
I lost track of the number of courses, but the presentation was brilliant
A couple of major sites today; The Hue Citadel, and Tu Duc's Tomb. The Imperial City of Hue was founded as the capital of a united Vietnam in 1789 and remained the seat of power until the French colonisation in the 1880s. The complex contains pavilions, buildings, gardens and courtyards protected by thick walls and moats, and measures 2km by 2km.
The Citadel or fortress has been the scene of a number of battles including the Viet Minh against the French in 1947, and again during the Tet Offensive between the Viet Cong and American/ARVN troops in January 1968. Heavy damage was done and only 10 buildings remained undamaged. Major restoration work is currently underway.
More Info: Imperial City of Hue
Good Bus! Good Bus! Sit! Stay!!
Korean tourist bus (sorry, couldn't resist it)
Main moat with water lillies
Zen inspects 4 of the 9 cannons from 1803
The ramparts still show damage from shells
The Citadel with huge Vietnamese flag
Zen feeding the fish. Don't be Koi
One of the courtyards with a bronze cauldron cast in 1662 in the reign of Lord Nguyen Phuc Tan
Same courtyard as above
Lots of cool galleries and arcades (and a golden dragon)
How much does a Vietnamese Urn?
Colourful display of lanterns and traditional Vietnamese conical hats
Back on the bus and off to see Tu Duc's tomb. There is a bit of a mystery here. Firstly, we didn't see any ducks, much less two of them, and secondly, Tu Duc isn't burried here. His real resting place is a secret, and to make sure it stayed that way, after he was buried, the two hundred labourers who buried him were all beheaded.
Emperor Tu Duc enjoyed the longest reign of any monarch of the Nguyen dynasty, ruling from 1848-83. Although he had over a hundred wives and concubines, he was unable to father a son ... More Info: Tomb of Tu Duc
The following shots are of the delightful grounds in which the Emperor isn't buried.
Back to the hotel to clean up, shower and get ready for the last night on the train where we'll all be together as a group (some are leaving us in the morning).
We're over halfway to Hanoi
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