A Couple of Days in Hue

Ok, so as I sit down to write this there is a pretty serious screaming match going on in the lobby of my guesthouse - I'm guessing between the owner and some family members, but I don't really know. Man, high-pitched, higher-decibel Vietnamese is grating on the ears. The German kid sitting at the computer next to me is chuckling to himself and stealing glances at the verbal warfare going on behind me. And it really was such a relaxing day.....

I've spent the last couple of days exploring the city of Hue on foot and by bicycle and I've got to say that (current screaming match notwithstanding) this is a place where, in another life, I could see myself settling down and staying for a while. The heart of modern-day Hue (pronounced "way," by the way) is the old city which is enclosed within the walls - 2 meters thick and 10km around - of the old citadel. "Old city," however, is more or less a misnomer since a hundred years of combined French, American, and Vietnamese aggression had destroyed most of the city by 1975, when the Communists permanently rolled into town. But Hue has been rebuilt, slowly but surely (including inevitable sprawl) - a process that has been financially subsidized due to its UNESCO rating as a world heritage site.

As soon as you ride across the bridge spanning the Perfume River and enter the Citadel via one of a dozen gates, everything slows down a notch. Although a good chunk of the population lives within the Citadel, it feels as though you've left the city for the country with its quiet lanes, small markets, ponds, canals, parks, gardens, and family farms. I don't want to make the Citadel sound like a paradise, because it's not. There are still pockets of poverty, visible damage remains from the war that ended 35 years ago, and God only knows what long-time residents of the city have been through. But, I'm quickly learning that the Vietnamese don't dwell much on the past and Hue is a testament to that attitude. A beautiful city with (once again) some of the friendliest people I've ever met. On a leisurely morning bike ride around the Citadel, I stopped counting how many people waved and said hello to me. At a construction site, no less than a dozen workers stopped what they were doing and asked me to take their photos (side note: after looking at the pictures again I noticed a few lewd gestures that sort of transcend the language barrier, if you know what I mean). I passed dozens of young boys playing marbles in the dirt on the side of the road and when I asked to watch, they gave me my own handful to keep. That's the kind of stuff that I'm growing to love about this country.

The highlight of Hue - and the reason for its UNESCO attention - is the "Imperial Enclosure." Essentially a citadel within a citadel (guide book's words, not mine), it was home to generations of Vietnamese emperors and structurally based on the Forbidden City in Bejiing. Temples, palaces, living quarters for the hundreds of eunuchs and concubines who served, and serviced, the Emperor. Man, what a life. In all honesty, there's not a whole lot left - the French destroyed most of it, and the Americans and Viet Cong finished off the rest. But a few temples and palaces have been restored and reconstruction is ongoing. I spent the better part of a morning just wandering around the complex and was amazed by the history, and destruction, associated with the place.

I've got a couple more days in Hue before moving on and there's still plenty to see and do. Should have a good story to share after my next adventure - Daniel, if you're reading this, I've signed up for another "DAY" like the one we had in Bejiing. Wish me luck.