Located in central Vietnam, Hue was once the imperial capital of the Nguyen dynasty up to 1945 when the Emperor abdicated and the communist took over Hanoi and established it as North Vietnam's capital. Recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage site for her many historic monuments, Hue struck me as a forgotten town with old glories.
My bus left Hoi An at 8:30 am and arrived in Danang 45 minutes later. After a quick stop to let some passengers alight, the bus proceeded to Hue, where we arrived at 11:30 am. I met a few fellow travelers at the tour bus office in Hue and since our connecting bus to Hanoi would not be until 5 pm that day, we decided to hire local "easyriders" to take us on a day tour on their motor scooters. For US$6, I was able to see Hue in a jiffy with Doug as my guide.
We visited what's left of an American bunker up a hill that overlooked the Perfume River. Next, we went to Tu Duc's tomb, which cost 55,000 dong (about US$3.60) to enter. It was peaceful in the compounds but too hot to sit around. After that, we went to the Thien Mu (Heavenly Light) Pagoda, which was built in 1806. The 7-storey pagoda is the largest in Vietnam and a symbol of Hue. Following that, we had lunch at a nearby restaurant that served local Hue specialties - Bun thit nuong (rice vermicelli with grilled pork) and Banh uot thit nuong (fresh spring rolls with grilled pork). The former cost 5,000 dong (about US$0.33) and the latter, 4,000 dong (about US$0.25); lemonade was another 4,000 dong. One of the best value and delicious meals I've had in Vietnam!
After lunch, we headed to the Citadel, a.k.a. The Imperial Palace but we decided against paying another 55,000 dong to see the site partly because it looked like it was going to rain heavily. So, after taking a few photos of the facade, we returned to the tour bus office and waited for the connecting bus to arrive to take us north to Hanoi.
My bus left Hoi An at 8:30 am and arrived in Danang 45 minutes later. After a quick stop to let some passengers alight, the bus proceeded to Hue, where we arrived at 11:30 am. I met a few fellow travelers at the tour bus office in Hue and since our connecting bus to Hanoi would not be until 5 pm that day, we decided to hire local "easyriders" to take us on a day tour on their motor scooters. For US$6, I was able to see Hue in a jiffy with Doug as my guide.
We visited what's left of an American bunker up a hill that overlooked the Perfume River. Next, we went to Tu Duc's tomb, which cost 55,000 dong (about US$3.60) to enter. It was peaceful in the compounds but too hot to sit around. After that, we went to the Thien Mu (Heavenly Light) Pagoda, which was built in 1806. The 7-storey pagoda is the largest in Vietnam and a symbol of Hue. Following that, we had lunch at a nearby restaurant that served local Hue specialties - Bun thit nuong (rice vermicelli with grilled pork) and Banh uot thit nuong (fresh spring rolls with grilled pork). The former cost 5,000 dong (about US$0.33) and the latter, 4,000 dong (about US$0.25); lemonade was another 4,000 dong. One of the best value and delicious meals I've had in Vietnam!
After lunch, we headed to the Citadel, a.k.a. The Imperial Palace but we decided against paying another 55,000 dong to see the site partly because it looked like it was going to rain heavily. So, after taking a few photos of the facade, we returned to the tour bus office and waited for the connecting bus to arrive to take us north to Hanoi.
(Click on any image for a(n) enlarged / gallery view)
Above center: A little girl, unabashedly posed for me, on our bus ride north from Hoi An to Hue; Above right: A friendly cook at a bus stop restaurant in Hue
Above: A 'non la' in the making
Above: An incense maker
Above left: The Perfume River in the background
Above: An old American bunker
Above: @ the 7-storey Thien Mu Pagoda, the largest in Vietnam and a symbol of Hue
Hue specialties:
Above left: Banh uot thit nuong (fresh spring rolls with grilled pork), 4,000 dong or about US$0.25; Above right: bun thit nuong (rice vermicelli with grilled pork), 5,000 dong or about US$0.33
Above: @ the Citadel
Above right: Doug - my knowledgeable guide/moto driver
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