Up On The Roof

Today saw us getting back on bikes for a tour of Hue, starting with the Citadel, the former Imperial Palace. We had a pretty hair-raising cycle in convoy through the early morning rush hour traffic from the hotel to the Citadel. Junctions were particularly interesting, with motorbikes lined up across the wide French-built boulevards turning right even if their lights were red (USA style) and traffic going in all directions. It certainly got the heart pumping and raised a sweat as the group shot in extras testifies.

The Citadel itself  was a haven of peace. Visitors are not allowed inside but the buildings themselves are very impressive and our guide, Loc, was knowledgeable and interesting as ever. The main blip is a detail of one of the ornate roofs.

There was also an outdoor display of various military aircraft , tanks and other weapons from the Vietnam (or American, as the Vietnamese call it) war. The Citadel was the sight of some fierce hand to hand fighting and we saw plenty of bullet holes  and other signs of war damage in the Citadel walls.

From there the cycling became more tranquil as we headed through the suburbs and into the countryside to the Thien Mu Pagoda (in extras), then back alongside the Perfume River for an excellent lunch in the city centre, this time at an Italian restaurant, which in true Vietnamese style still involved 5 courses.

We said goodbye to the bikes after lunch and were driven out of town to the Tu Duc Tomb complex, originally the Summer residence of one of the emperors, which became his burial place when he died. I was again very interesting but the weather was becoming very stormy and oppressive and, after the long cycle ride, we were glad to get back to the hotel for a shower.

We were all pretty exhausted this evening and most of us opted for a light meal in the hotel's outdoor restaurant and a few well-earned beers..