Wednesday, 24 April 2013

Hué......short but sweet

Sometimes it's nice to be given reviews on places you are going and other times it causes you to miss out on something really special. Hué was one of those places that many people said wasn't worth seeing. I booked a night there, more to give myself a break from the bus than any desire to see it. I am glad I had some time to explore because it ended up being a lovely town, a UNESCO World Heritage site. The Perfume river runs through the centre and the rubble of the Royal Imperial Palace takes up a huge section of the old town, though it doesn't feel that big on the inside. Dragon boaters offer to drive you along the shores and cyclo drivers (a bicycle with a seat in front) aplenty want to take you anywhere at all. Then there's the easy riders, drivers of motorbikes along the coast of Vietnam which is meant to be an amazing trip. They are so friendly but really want to take you somewhere, anywhere. Esther and I wandered through the market, eyeing up all sorts of weird buys. Dried fish among the unidentifiable. Though the cyclo drivers are said to be the most aggressive salesmen in Vietnam, I just shut out their calls and enjoyed the delightful Hué. The citadel, now in ruins from wars and natural disasters, is not as exciting as others I've seen but is beautiful in it's own right. Surrounding the town are various tombs, which I am disappointed I didn't have time to see. So I've learned that it's important to hear reviews but take them with a grain of salt as many hidden gems can be found when you open your mind and go with the flow.

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