Overnight Train from Hanoi to Hue
after a very rocky completion to my 13hr Train ride, which arrived into Hue at 8:30 am the next day.
During my Train Station Pickup to my Hotel, I began contemplating, abandoning the Tombs tour we had scheduled for the day, in favour of a fully sized and unmoving bed. After a little internal contemplation, the logic that i may only be in this part of the world once prevailed after a fantastic breakfast provided by my new accomadation, “prior to me even completing checkin” I’m amazed how friendly and exceedingly helpful the Vietnam hospitality staff have been to this point, i just love how thoughtful they are, and the restaurants are the same.
NZ hotels don’t even come close.
Touring the Tombs
Seeing the three major tomb sites, of three Prominent Vietnemese Emperors, was much more enjoyable than i would have expected, given i’m not really a fan of history, and i think i got some great shots.
At the entries and exits to all three Tombs, and pretty much everywhere else frequented by tourists, numerous and varied make shift stalls have been setup where the locals make many attempts to sell us stuff we really don’t need, or overcharge us for things that we do try to purchase.
Both me and my mate Mark where caught out at one stage but we have since wisened to the tricks of their trade.
after the Tombs tour just as the weather started to pack in. we had Lunch at a very cozy local family restaurant, which served up some great fare at very little cost and provided my first oppurtunity to try the local coffee with the resident bean of Vietnam. “very strong and bitter coffee, compared to the rest of Asiaapparently ” was what i’d read and i’d have to agree at this stage, but still not too bad at all considering.
Great little HUE food joint.
After returning to our Hotel from the Tombs , and an Afternoon Detour around the local Citadel, where i got a picture taking hanging from an old Cannon Barrel (photo still on my mates Camera) we walked around the city until we came across a new Zealand Ice Cream Speciality Store of all things, and write next door was where we decided to have dinner.
Given this was my final Night in Hue, i decided to try one of the local specialties requiring me to ask for directions on how to eat it, as the verbal instructions they’d given me prior didn’t quite do the trick, the meal didn’t look like much but it was great. additionally as a result of my desire to try out many of the various local “non-alcoholic drinks on the menu” i somehow qualified for a free local beer, which I duely downed.
