hue
Vietnam has a suprisingly well organised tourist infrastructure. A great deal is the 'Open Tour' bus ticket. It's a 'hop on-hop off ' service that allows passengers to jump off at a number of locations on the journey from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City. All for $22! I decided to stop off at four locations en route. The rub is that the operator hopes to accommodate the passengers in an affiliated guesthouse. But the sales method isn't over overbearing.
So after a 12 hour overnight bus ride (on jolting, squeaky, f*cking annoying seat that I wanted to kick to pieces!), I found myself in Hue. It is the ancient capital of the country and considered to be a national treasure of history and heritage. It becomes yet another UNESCO site on my travels. It's a city that is easily covered on foot although hard going in the intense heat. The shade isn't much of a comfort here. Oh, and there's another issue for the walker; the endless sales patter of motorbike and rickshaw drivers. Every damn minute of the day! But I accept that it is their livelihood after all and I smile as I decline the service each time.
The centre of the historic city is the Citadel. All the other important monuments, temples, and pagodas are found here too. In truth, it was all a bit of a disappointment though. The 'purple forbidden city' is a poor, scaled down version of the original forbidden city in Beijing. I suppose it does have two elephants roaming around without much purpose. Beat that Beijing! But that's not to say that it has always been unimpresssive. It was probably quite a sight in its day but forty percent of it was destroyed in the war.
In the Tet Offensive of 1968, the city suffered at the hands of the Americans during one of the longest and bloodiest battles of the war. If one looks closely, the battle damage is still evident; bullet holes, fire damage and shell craters. The most apparent piece of evidence is the crumbling, concrete pill box that stills sits awardly on top of one of the ancient city gates. It's a great pity really and compounded by years of neglect ever since. The communists regarded the site as a relic of feudal times.
But on the plus side Hue is also famous for the girls in their white Áo Dài - Vietnamese national dress. The outfit is mandatory for school girls and some government workers. The sight of them cycling along is pure poetry in motion. Although I didn't test it, it is said some wear their conical straw hat with a poem written inside that can only be read when held up to the light. I have heard much about the beauty of Vietnamese women and I am inclined to agree that they are certainly one of the most beautiful of all Asian women.
So after a 12 hour overnight bus ride (on jolting, squeaky, f*cking annoying seat that I wanted to kick to pieces!), I found myself in Hue. It is the ancient capital of the country and considered to be a national treasure of history and heritage. It becomes yet another UNESCO site on my travels. It's a city that is easily covered on foot although hard going in the intense heat. The shade isn't much of a comfort here. Oh, and there's another issue for the walker; the endless sales patter of motorbike and rickshaw drivers. Every damn minute of the day! But I accept that it is their livelihood after all and I smile as I decline the service each time.
The centre of the historic city is the Citadel. All the other important monuments, temples, and pagodas are found here too. In truth, it was all a bit of a disappointment though. The 'purple forbidden city' is a poor, scaled down version of the original forbidden city in Beijing. I suppose it does have two elephants roaming around without much purpose. Beat that Beijing! But that's not to say that it has always been unimpresssive. It was probably quite a sight in its day but forty percent of it was destroyed in the war.
In the Tet Offensive of 1968, the city suffered at the hands of the Americans during one of the longest and bloodiest battles of the war. If one looks closely, the battle damage is still evident; bullet holes, fire damage and shell craters. The most apparent piece of evidence is the crumbling, concrete pill box that stills sits awardly on top of one of the ancient city gates. It's a great pity really and compounded by years of neglect ever since. The communists regarded the site as a relic of feudal times.
But on the plus side Hue is also famous for the girls in their white Áo Dài - Vietnamese national dress. The outfit is mandatory for school girls and some government workers. The sight of them cycling along is pure poetry in motion. Although I didn't test it, it is said some wear their conical straw hat with a poem written inside that can only be read when held up to the light. I have heard much about the beauty of Vietnamese women and I am inclined to agree that they are certainly one of the most beautiful of all Asian women.
posted by Ciarán at 2:18 a.m.
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