Hue

Got into Hue yesterday on an overnight 13 hour bus ride from Hanoi on the infamous Sinh Cafe open tour ticket. $22 from Hanoi to Saigon with flex stopovers - for the value, it can't be beat. Most of the passengers were local vietnamese. It was nice having my friends Michael and Thuy send me off and look after my backpack while I was trying to scramble for a seat. Thuy was lamenting it was sad to travel in the rain. Along the ride, the local girls around me kept hurling into little plastic bags. Each rest stop I would motion for them to throw it out but they'd invariably prefer to sleep.

Hue is a charming, more laid back city/town than Hanoi. People seem a little friendlier. The cyclo/xeom hawkers are still overwhere.

I went to the Citadel - a 10 km sq complex of ancient imperial court buildings, reminded me of a smaller version of the forbidden city. The strong mandarin inspired past here isn't more evident than in Hue.

In the afternoon, I took Ms Thu's motobike tour. Being the only one in the pack that knew how to ride - as I'd been tested in the roads of Hanoi, I got my own motorbike (instead of being a passenger). The drivers went fast through gorgeous countrysides - we stopped at old bridges, pagodas, and tombs of ancient emperors. Afterwards, I had drinks at Ms Thu's cafe with a few people from Ireland and Australia.

Had incredible veggy, 5 course meal in town (for only 30000 d or, ~ 2$). Hit the hay at 10pm, really tired.

Today, I read Bao Ninh's "Sorrow's of War" all morning, while waiting for the afternoon bus to Hoi An.