Saturday, July 12, 2008

2 days in Hue then to Hoi An

Hi Guys,
I left Hanoi yesterday around 7.30 pm by bus, but due to the impossible jam, didn't get out of Hanoi until around 9 pm There is so much construction in Hanoi, especially the highway, getting in and out, can be a nightmare. I was lucky that I had a sleeper on the bus that enabled me to really stretch, like on a bed, and sleep comfortably. I have not seen such buses back home . The last row at the back sleeps 5 persons, then the 2 rows in front of it sleeps 2 on each side, so in total there 13 beds while the others have the usual reclining seats which are also comfortable. The only strange thing I find, is that the bus does not stop at any RnR for toilet stops, but instead stop at at any spot convenient for one to ease oneself. I pity the poor ladies. The bus had more foreigners (Kwai Lohs) than locals. I managed at least 6 hrs of intermittent sleep, which I consider good.
Moving through the night, I didn't see much, although we passed through part of the way I cycled into Hanoi until Vinh. At dawn it was the usual paddy fields and traffic.
Hue is about 670 km from Hanoi and it is not so crowded. The town has a lot of historical sites, as this was the seat of the Vietnamese past rulers (like Malacca). Many areas of the town have remnants of the palaces and ruins of the past. It is a riverside town and is served by two bridges and a railway bridge. Many riverboats take tourists for a river tour and the river-side is a favourite of locals and visitors. The sunset is beautiful here and as the sun goes down all kinds of traders set up their stalls to trade, as everywhere else in Vietnam.
Another interesting thing I find about Vietnam is that most people eat dog meat. I was invited to join in for a dog meat dish and if I hadn't asked I might have eaten some. They find it strange that I didn't even want to try. Here, in Hue, there is also a lot of construction going on, especially to cater for the tourists - hotels, guesthouses etc. In another five years, infrastructure for tourists would be ready, and, so will prices.
It is not too bad to cycle here as the traffic is not too heavy and many people here, also cycle. If only it is cooler in the afternoon, then it will be ideal. That's all for today, more tomorrow. Regards and take care.
Adnan

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Hi Adnan
I'm Thoa from tour information at Hoa Binh palace hotel.i'm very glad hearing you arrived in Hue.Did you have good time in Hue?When do you will go to Hoi An?