This post, which was written on the overnight train from Denang to Ho Chi Minh/Siagon, covers the days from the 4th till midday of the 7th October which we spent: in Hue; at the Demilitarised Zone (DMZ), due north of Hue; traversing the Hai Van Pass, which is in between Hue and Hoi An; and our time in Hoi An.
We arrived in Hue at 10 am on the 4th of October and I have to admit to telling a white lie. Before leaving the UK, Bec's and I made a pact that we would walk everywhere humanly possible, so that we could stretch our budget out as far as possible. As the walk from the train station to our hotel was around six kilometres, this was the first real test of the pact. Rather than putting the distance out there for public consumption, I simply decided to lie and tell Bec's that we were only 2km from the train station.
Whilst we made it to the hotel reasonably easily and without too much moaning, it was quiet a tab as we were fully laden with our backpacks (both circa 15kg) and front packs of around circa 5kg each. At this point I feel inclined to answer the question I received via a private message through Facebook; if the Blog is Lord of the Rings themed, which one of my wife and I is Frodo, and which one is Samwise?
Begrudgingly, I have to admit that Bec's is the brains of the operations and, as she has planned the route that we are taking for the six months, I am happy to concede that she is Frodo. She also seems to be weighed down by the bag, that has become already her 'One Ring', but an alternative view is that I am the ring that weighs her down and the source of mischief and strange stuff.
Well, I guess that makes me Sam, and secretly I am delighted by this. In my opinion Frodo wouldn't have got out of the Shire without Sam, let alone to the Fires of Mount Doom. Also, I still have the Boy Scout in my psyche, which means I have almost anything possible that we could need on our trip (head torches, first add kit, bottle opener, whistles, etc.) stuffed in one place or another in my two packs. The other similarity to Sam is that I carry more than my far share and during the long walk from the train station a few other items were cross loaded from Bec's to my backpacks. Its nice to feel needed though... ;-)
Still, back to Hue. Hue was once the capital of Vietnam, but is quite a small place with the Perfume River flowing through its heart. It boasts some of the finest Sino-Virtnamese architecture still remaining in the country, which is a legacy of Vietnamese Emperors; with pride of place reserved for the Imperial City, a high walled compound that is known as the Citadel. Alongside these, are some large impressive French Colonial houses that line the main road from the train station on the opposite side of the Perfume River to the Citadel.
Like any respectable Hobbits, Becs and I started the day sampling some of local specialities that Hue had to offer before beginning our sightseeing. I shall leave the naming and describing the food to the master and in fact now that Becs has published her first posting of her food orientated blog, I can include its address: 2ramblingeggs@blogspot.com.
One way we have been able to sample all the food on offer and keep cost to a minimum is to follow the dietary lead of the said Hobbits. So with first and second breakfasts consumed we made our way to the Citadel. To write that we almost never went in as the entrance fee is 110,000 VND (£3.30) per person is embarrassing, but thankfully sense prevailed and in we went. Whilst some internet sites bemoan the lack of information, I was suitably impressed. Either people had unfairly high expectations or it had improved of late, which is possibly the case, as it is going through extensive restoration to return it to its previous glory. Apart from the demise of my flip flops, such that I had to walk barefoot for most of the day, it was money well spent and was really impressive.
Like most palaces and imperial cities I have visited, the Citadel is a labyrinth of courtyards, walkways, living quarters and large halls for royal events and ceremonies. I was quiet perplexed by a public tennis court in one segment, until we read the information board that one of the last few rulers was obsessed with western culture including tennis, golf and driving. I suppose it's not that strange when you think about it as quite a few of the British royal palaces contain a real tennis court or two. After the Citadel we decided not to do a boat trip down the river but have a wander round the streets and consume first lunch, second lunch, late lunch, etc.
The original plan for the 5th was to simply take the train from Hue to Denang and then the bus to Hoi An, but an executive intervention by Samwise the Brave (and you have to be brave to propose a change to your wife's well laid plans) meant that we booked a private driver to take us up to the DMZ where the River Hangh Lil serves as the old border between North and South Vietnam and the Viet Con tunnels, which reminded me of the Mines of Moria and would be an excellent place to play hide and seek. You just had to take the anti-US propaganda with a pinch of salt.
After the DMZ we headed back past Hue and then down to Hoi An via the stunning Hai Van Pass, which made me think of the Redhorn Pass from LOTR. Either side of the pass were many stunning lakes (including the imposing Tam Ziang lake), bays, coves and the Marble Mountain, where Vietnamese marble is mined.
Not only did it actually only work out a few dollars more expensive but we managed to take in a few recommended sights that we would otherwise have missed due to time constraints. The only downside of the day was the weather, which was mostly torrential rain, but we did get invited into a Vietnamese house to shelter from the rain at one point, so it wasn't all bad as it satisfied the 'people watcher' in me.
We arrived in Hoi An sometime after six pm on the evening of the 5th and had a gentle wander about town. Hoi An is even smaller than Hue and is like the a Vietnamese equivalent of a Cornish costal fishing town with a funny language, but less about Cornwall. It is an historic port with narrow cobbled streets and two hundred year old merchant shop-houses that have been passed down and are still run by family descendants.
The first night ended with a Vietnamese lock-in to watch the West Ham game and the second day involved Becs doing a cookery class. Not only will these classes be a useful respite from each other over the coming months but I hope I will also be able to continue to eat the delicious food that Becs has prepared. That evening we went across one of the foot bridges to the ancient town to look around the Night Market and see the spectacular array of lanterns that light the entire town, which was Gondor-esq.
The morning of the train (7th October) was a bit of a lazy one, albeit Bec's went to the market to get some of the famous local baguettes (Banh ... ) and I went for a run to the beach, as I have started to resemble Fatty Bolger.
Before ending this post I also need to thank Sara and Scott Reilley, without which Becs and I wouldn't be making this trip. They convinced Becs one night in Dubai to go travelling and we are in fact following some of the routes that they have either individually or collectively traveled in the past. For these reasons they are the Bilbo Baggins of our adventure out of the Shire, as without Bilbo there would have been no LOTR. Many thanks and I already can't wait to share our tales with you five the next time we meet up in the UK. I think that's enough LOTR references for one post... :-)
The next post of the Blog will cover the train from Denang down to Ho Chi Min/Saigon and our time in, and around the city. I am hoping to be able to book myself on a half-day fishing tour on the Mekong Delta, to learn how the Vietnamese people fish.
I have now started to get into the rhythm of writing a blog again, such that I write my notes quickly in a pad during the day and simply need to type it up last minute before bed, which depending upon how many beers we have drunk that day/evening can only take 30-40 minutes. Usually there is one final proof read after I wake up in the next morning before breakfast and it is published. At least this way it is not becoming too intrusive.
Tam Biet
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