After one last meal with the kind and the very accommodating host, we said our goodbyes the night before we left! We were taking a night bus to the city of Hué in central Vietnam! In the morning we gathered our things had some food and headed to the capitals old quarter where we waited a couple of hours. In the normal disorganised Asian way we had to take a mini bus for about 10 minutes then a little bit more waiting around until the mad rush begun and after a bit of clambering, our bags were in and we shuffled to the very back of the large sleeper with funky lights! The overnight transportation services offered in Vietnam are unlike any we have seen, there are three rows of around ten bunk bed style reclining seats/beds, with 3 beds all connected at the back, which is where we had to go (cosy).
With us occupying the two of the three beds at the back the seat next to me was the only bed left on the bus and after a bloke making a bit of an awkward situation worse by swearing and huffing and puffing (if you want to travel on a budget these kind of situations are inevitable, whinging gets you nowhere, so you have to get on with it!), the psychedelically lit bus rolled out of the capital heading south! The 10 hour journey for the most part was a smooth one, felt like just one straight road all the way! Hué is a much smaller city (nearly everything is within walking distance), a lot less polluted and nowhere near as densely populated as Hanoi! The quieter, less hectic comings and goings of everyday life were welcomed! We didn't prebook somewhere to stay (sometimes it's cheaper to wing it!), so after a little scout around we sniffed out a cheap little room with a balcony, with the view being of other cheap little rooms, perfect! We've found the budget rooms in Vietnam are really nice, all have air condoning, towels and massive beds as standard! After sorting out our stuff, we went for a stroll around the city which was different to what we expected, the centre is full of quirky bars and restaurants and has a much more laid back approach to the capital, also cheaper! Whilst walking along the peaceful river and crossing the large bridge (at night it is brightly lit and has food stalls at either end, selling all kinds of multicolour cuisine!) with the air fresher and the sun seeming a lot stronger than the hazy and humid Hanoi, we pieced together a plan for our three day stay. After we checked out the Dieu Du Pagoda, and relaxed by the perfume river for a while, we got some supplies and took it easy for the rest of the day, we had a few drinks in the evening and after dinner we prepared for the following day!
Day 2
After a little lay in (the sleeper bus always leave you feeling a little sleep deprived), and some food we headed to Hué's Imperial City! The Unesco world heritage site is Vietnam's former capital, the construction of this 2 metre thick and 10 kilometre walled palace commenced in 1804, and was the home to Vietnamese Emperors until the mid 1900's! The place was full of monuments and information about former rulers
and the history of the Citadel! It took most of the scorching hot day to explore the whole place! There wasn't many people around so it was great walking around the courtyards with intricately designed gatehouses and temples and gardens rife with pretty flowers, and petite bridges over ponds abundant with fish, imagining what life was like in the imperial times, life within the walls must have been very pleasant and serene! Before heading across the bridge, we wandered into Hué's famous marketplace, however like most markets in Asia it was disgustingly littered and the stench of fish was overwhelming (however you'll always get decent pictures of local life), we had a quick walk around and left! On route back to our room we stumbled across some military vehicles and small museum! During the Vietnam war, the city was home to fierce fighting and one of the bloodiest battles of the entire war! There were tanks, helicopters and artillery all captured by the Vietcong, it was fascinating to see and look inside these war remnants and wonder what it must've been like to fight in that war! After a few drinks (still can't believe how cheap the beer is here), we accessed our options for our third and final day in Vietnam's central city of Hué!
Day 3
On our last day we decided to head for Lang Co Bay (apparently it is rated in the top 30 bays in the world). To save some money we took a local bus, it took over an hour to the area we needed to be, however like most other buses they always terminate where you don't want them to! But after a short taxi ride back the way we came, Lang Co Bay was upon us! The 10km paradise stretch of white sand, turquoise ocean and mountains circling around us were near enough deserted! After the sweaty and bumpy bus ride, a dip in the ocean and an afternoon relaxing, basking in the sun and doing absolutely nothing for a few hours was an absolutely perfect way to end our time around Hué!
Next destination is Hoi An's ancient town for around 4 nights for a lantern festival!
