Tuesday, we woke up early to watch the sunrise on Halong Bay and do tai chi with one of the boat's staff. Kathy and I both decided that we'd be interested in tai chi on a regular basis if we could find an age-appropriate class. Two more fabulous meals on the boat, a rowing trip through a sea cave and a short cruise back to the marina and we were ready for the 4-hour drive to the Hanoi airport for the evening flight to Hue.
We arrived in a downpour (which apparently broke a 9 month drought) and were escorted by our guide to the Moonlight Hotel in the city center. Wednesday morning, after another terrific breakfast, we met our guide, Ba Hanh, for a boat ride up the Perfume river to the Thien Mu (Celestial Lady) Pagoda and monastery. The pagoda grounds were serene and the buildings wonderfully ornate.
One interesting "relic" on the grounds is the Austin automobile that Thich Quang Duc, a monk from this pagoda, took to Saigon in 1963 when he burned himself to death in the street to protest the repressive Diem regime. The car is the one in the back of the famous photo that helped spark the Buddhist revolt that led to the overthrow of the government.
As we left the pagoda, the young novice monks were returning for lunch at the refectory, riding their bicycles in their blue-grey robes.
After leaving the pagoda we travelled to two of the Nguyen emperors' tombs. The tomb of the second Nguyen king, Minh Mang, was built in the mid 19th century , but looks hundreds of years older because of the traditional architecture and the effects of the humidity and the local termites.
The second tomb was for the next to last king, Khai Dinh, who died in the late 1920's. The structures are a riot of flamboyant dragons, ornate woodwork, and colorful mosaics constructed of broken pottery.
After leaving the tombs, we returned to the walled city for a walk through the Tay Loc Marketplace,
followed by a wonderful lunch at Les Jardin de La Carambole, located in an old colonial home.
followed by a wonderful lunch at Les Jardin de La Carambole, located in an old colonial home.
After lunch, we walked through the Imperial City, the palace of the Nguyen dynasty. It, too, dates from the 18th century, but looks much older. In addition to the weather and the local woodworms and termites, the Citadel and the royal enclosure, the Purple Forbidden City, were occupied for almost a month by the Viet Cong during Tet, 1968. In the ensuing battle to retake the city, much of the complex was destroyed. What remains s now a UNESCO Heritage site, and a lot of reconstruction and conservation work is under way.
Hot and footsore after a long day's trek, we returned to our hotel and then to a great dinner at the Serene Hue restaurant. So far, the Trip Advisor recommendations have been spot on. Both of the restaurants we dined in today were at the top of the ratings and both were wonderful!
Tomorrow, we're off down the coast to Hoi An for three days. It'll be good to stay in one spot for a little bit. More pictures on Facebook and more here tomorrow or the next day
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