Around Hue
Trip Start
Oct 25, 2006
1
17
27
Trip End
Nov 19, 2006
Hue,
Vietnam
Saturday, November 11, 2006
Saw water buffalo, storks and dragon flies in all colours of the rainbow. The local kids putting their hands out for us to slap as we sped by. Villagers washing clothes and themselves in the rivers, men fishing and women working in the fields and everywhere we went we were greeted by children smiling and shouting Hello.
We also made some stops on the way. The first to see a woman with only one and half arms making the Vietnamese Conical hats and then to see some girls making incense sticks
Across the paddy fields
. I had no idea the incense sticks are pieces of sandalwood which they roll a thin layer of clay around. The clay infused with spices, it our case cinnamon (which is a bark from a tree). They are then left in the sun to dry.We stopped at a couple of view points on the hills above Hue, we visited the mausoleum of an Emperor which looked very Chinese in style, and was set in massive grounds with ponds and ornate building dotted around. The Emperor actually used the site as his R&R area for many years before his death. With 104 major wives and countless minor wives (whatever that is, maybe one night stands?) I guess he needed somewhere to get away from it all. He had all those wives but no children, small pox as a child left him a jaffa, but he literally died trying. Cause of death low blood pressure due to sexual exhaustion!
We had lunch at a monastery. A feast of vegetarian food and it was some of the best we've had on the whole trip. In the afternoon we took a boat trip down the Perfume River, stopping at a Pagoda (which is a religious complex, including a temple and other buildings, sometimes a monastery). Again it was so beautiful and tranquil. The Pagoda has always been important but even more so because of the story shown below. As you can see this sign was in front of the car that the monk used to get to Saigon
Artistic shot
. Before setting off the monk informed all the major international news agencies of what he was going to do, so the whole affair got a huge amount of publicity. I think the picture of him burning is on the cover of a Rage Against the Machine album. The second picture shows that I can do artistic if I try ;-)We got back at 15:30 after leaving at 8:30. All in, moped drivers, entrance fees, the boat and the lunch the whole day cost $10. In the evening I had a lemon juice, a couple of bottles of the local beer, some pork kebabs that are served with rice paper and veg (to make your own spring rolls) and a bowl of beef noodle soup and came home with change from 4 dollars. Marvellous.
