Vietnam, part 2 (Hue)

Our second stop in Vietnam was Hue, a quick hour flight up from Saigon. In our minds, it would be a nice counter to the hustle and bustle of the big city, but those notions were dispelled on the ride in from the airport, as it seemed even more motorcycles were vying for even less space. This video accounts for a relatively tame stretch of that ride:

Thankfully, the terminus of that ride was our hotel, the Saigon Morin, Hue's oldest hotel with over a century of history to it. The hotel takes up an entire city block and while its aging infrastructure can't necessarily account for every modern convenience, it's one of those grand, venerable old hotels with the grace and features of another time. We really enjoyed it.

(not sure why the kids enjoyed the hallway floors so much)

After arriving in the afternoon, we hunkered down for the hotels Xmas dinner which featured music and dancing for entertainment. The hotel sat riverside, so we followed our big meal with a walk down to the night market along the Perfume River, at which Shane turned out to be a bigger hit than the vendors, often surrounded by a gaggle of gawkers and cell phone photographers.

The next day we booked a boat and van to take us to local points of interest. We began by boarding our dragon boat to begin our initial leg down the Perfume River to Thien Mu Pagoda.

 (Eliana walking the plank to get on)

 (Samantha and Gloria bargaining with the onboard souvenir vendor)

 (approaching the pagoda)

The rain was beginning to fall when we reached the pagoda, which wasn't ideal but was atmospheric. Thien Mu Pagoda dates back to 1601 and, aside from the 7-story pagoda itself, has remarkable grounds to explore.

 (Shane unfazed by the warriors standing guard)

 (Eliana striking a warrior pose)

 (monk praying inside)

 (well-manicured courtyard)

 (this was the Austin a monk drove before lighting himself on fire in protest)

Next, we took off by van to visit some of the tombs of various former emperors that are scattered across the countryside near Hue, each blending almost seamlessly into the landscape around it in its own particular way. First was Minh Mang's tomb.

 (far)

 (closer)

 (closer)

Next up was the tomb of Khai Dinh, an elaborate tomb built into a mountain.

Our last tomb was that of Tu Duc, built serenely by a pond.

Then, some well-earned lunch.

The next morning, we went to the Hue train station to embark on our next leg.

 (train station fish tank)

 (Shane waiting for the train to arrive)

Once the train arrived, we took the 3-hour leg of the Reunification Express from Hue to Da Nang, often times hugging the coastline and getting incredible views of the sea out our window.