Reading Simon's blog entry below I had to giggle - a moving traffic island is the only description for crossing the road.
Simon did fail to mention the overnight train ride from Hanoi to Hue. Splashed out and travelled first class ('soft sleeper' they had a cheek to describe it as....that is just a blatant lie) and the journey was an education to be sure. I didn't leave my bunk for the 11 hour journey for fear of inadvertently touching anything!
Along our journeys we are greeted with a graceful countryside of paddy fields running in picturesque contour lines. Each field is in a different state of picking or growing and every spectrum of green was used in painting them. Conical hats are obviously still the rage here and they dot the fields, towns, shops etc with little pale pyramids.
I will say that my card game skills are improving immensely from the last two rainy days and I have finally found the time/nerve to attempt a game of pool - Simon is a great teacher until you start winning! We have been out to adventure and even found some local art to buy.
Hue itself is right on the 17th parallel and borders the Demilitarised Zone, so it saw lots of action in the Vietnam war. This does mean a fair number of sights are still scattered with bullet holes and the once glorious Imperial Palace is not much more than a few houses. It felt a little strange to read the museum literature and then stand in from of rows of tanks and artillery they captured from (and with) Americans.... and this was only in the 70-ies.
Another overnight train journey to look forward to tonight.....wish me luck!
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