VIETNAM - Hue (written from Hanoi) Monday 21st May

Although somewhat forgotten, the central coastal city of Hue served as the nation's capital for over a century. It has sprawled over to the South of Song Huong (Perfume River) but its key attraction is its 19th Century Citadel, which houses the Imperial Enclosure and Forbidden Purple City, used during the Nguyen Dynasty. Since then it has been left to crumble somewhat and took a sever battering from those pesky Americans. But it remains, historically, the cultural centre of Vietnam and, consequently, worth a butchers.

So, after another brief night's sleep (Hoi An seemed able to produce a couple of late night hot-spots after all) I took the 3 hour bus ride up north to Hue.
After a brief, much needed, power nap, I set off on foot in the direction of the Citadel. I was enjoying a nice amble along the river front through neat little gardens when my flip-flop broke. There is something totally absolute about a broken flip-flop. You can't hobble anywhere holding it on with your toe. No, one minute you are comfortably, and airily, shod, the next you are not. A cafe of locals witnessed my misfortune with characteristic giggles and sympathetic cluckings. As I stood there grinning awkwardly, a woman emerged with another pair and gave them to me. I love this country. Fortunately I found a cobbler and was able to return them on route to my destination.
The old city is walled and contains the Imperial Enclosure. Feeling lazy (and not trusting my footwear) I allowed myself to be pushed around the city in a cyclo. The afternoon was approaching evening and thunder clouds grumbled around the Citadel which, aside from the impressive walls and gate ways, spattering of American army tanks and guns and a big lilly pad-filled moat, did little to capture my imagination. The Imperial Enclosure itself was a little haphazard too. Due to the election the following day (May 20th), some event was being set up so I was a little distracted by rolls of cable, trestle tables and plastic dragons.
I wandered around deserted, over-grown gardens and ceremonial halls but felt rather unmoved and in the way, so I bid a retreat and returned to my hotel to see about a trip down the Perfume River to the tombs, the 'must do' of Hue.
That evening, while I was busy getting lost, I came across a rally. Red flags everywhere, hoards of people milling and 3 men in tuxedos on a big stage, bedecked with red banners, stood warbling "Vietnam! Vietnam" What I assumed to be there national anthem. People were wandering about looking mildly interested. I was relived, however, to not detect any inclinations to start throwing their arms in the air or hunting any 'suspect capitalists' to lynch...

The next morning I was up early and on a boat with fellow sight seers and a sweet, shy Vietnamese guide, and off down the Perfume River in hunt of tombs.
The tombs of the Nguyen Emperors are set along the banks of the river and are made more impressive by their setting amongst pine trees, surrounded by beautiful lakes. The solemn, over-sized tombs themselves have the customary air of being absurdly disproportionate to their content - the withered remains of a human being. I often stand at tombs and try and summon a sensation other than that but I am usually unsuccessful. Granted, I am yet to go to Egypt.
I happily contented myself with wandering around the lakes and through the pines, which gave the place a Mediterranean feel.

I returned to the hotel in time to find Cli and the other 2 Irish girls getting off the bus from Hoi An, laden with purchases. So we had an early dinner before I set off to the station, bumping into some people from my river trip on route. I have travel companions to Hanoi. Funny how it works out.