This morning we checked out of our hotel in Hoi An. I was very sad to leave Hoi An. I really enjoyed the small city feeling and the how easy it was to explore around town. The town itself was very accommodating and the locals were so nice and hospitable. I felt safe walking the streets and interacting with other tourists. I enjoyed having the clothes tailor-made and would take a trip to Vietnam just to visit Hoi An to have a new inexpensive wardrobe made.
We boarded the bus for our long drive to Hue (pronounced Way). Hue is a little bit north of Hoi An, see map below.
On our way to Hue, we stopped at the Cham Museum. The Cham Museum is a Hindu museum located outside of Hoi An. There were some gorgeous stone structures throughout the museum. While looking around the museum, I saw a man with a ‘Myrtle Beach Bike Week 2010’ shirt on. It was kind of interesting to see someone who knew of Myrtle Beach in the middle of Vietnam! I really didn’t understand the significance of the Cham museum, but enjoyed browsing through the structures. Upon leaving, we were taken into a souvenir shop. They had a section where you could have your face (or anyone’s face for that matter) put on different types of stones. On display, they had Hilary Clinton and President Obama’s faces on a stone necklace. I thought this was very funny and took a picture.
We traveled along the Hai Van Pass to Hue. We drove up and down a very windy, narrow, road through the mountains. I felt like we were going to fall off the road at times. The entire way we were able to see a gorgeous view of the Lang Co beach and lagoon. We even stopped to take pictures. It was beautiful and worth the drive. It amazes me how beautiful things can be. I am reminded daily of God’s artistic hand and what He has made.
After arriving in Hue, we stopped for a quick lunch at an outdoor garden café. Unfortunately, it began raining again as we arrived in Hue. Lunch was quite interesting. We had many things on the menu that I could not read or understand. I tried to taste everything, but it really was not fantastic. Many of my classmates are having similar reactions to the Vietnamese food. We do much better when we can order for ourselves, rather than having the menu picked out for us. My staple food has become a bowl of rice at meals with pineapple and watermelon as a desert! Anytime I find something, delicious to eat I make sure to eat a lot!
After lunch, we headed to our new hotel. Upon walking in it was evident that it was not as classy as the pictures online depicted. The hotel was called the ‘ 3 Star New Hotel ‘. The rooms smelled slightly of mildew and mold, while everything felt damp (even the sheets!). Our room didn’t have a safe and the toilet was very stubborn when it came to flushing. There was about a ½ inch gap between the wall and tub. I made a mental note to take a quick shower, and to not think about what could be hiding or growing in that gap. Our accommodations thus far have been extremely nice. We are only in Hue for a short time so I knew there shouldn’t be too much to complain about. The Vietnamese culture would probably have seen this hotel as very nice, and I kept my negative thoughts to myself. After all, we aren’t really in our room that much anyways!
Next, we walked outside our hotels and boarded cyclos, much like the ones we rode in Hanoi. We traveled with the traffic to see the Imperial City and The Citadel. There were several times when I thought a car was going to hit our cyclo, or a motorbike was going to clip us! Traffic in Vietnam is crazy! There are no traffic rules it appears.
I thought touring the Imperial City was beautiful and very rewarding. It was originally not on our itinerary and I am so glad we decided to add it. The Imperial City had a wall and a moat around it protecting the people who lived and worked. Within the Imperial City was the Forbidden City. The Forbidden City had a separate wall bordering it. Only the King and the King’s family were allowed within these walls. They have begun to restore and repaint the Imperial City. It was so neat to see what the original structure looked like, while observing what they have done to preserve and restore parts of it. In fifteen years, it is going to be a beautiful place to visit for tourists. Lots of Chinese and French architecture were evident throughout the city. I really enjoyed walking around and seeing the beautiful scenery. Across from the Imperial City is The Citadel. We were able to see it from atop one of the buildings and take some great photos.
We cycled back to the hotel during rush hour, which was quite the experience! I tried to only forward and not to my sides, because the traffic was so heavy! Upon arriving back at the hotel, I went to the room to hang out for a little bit. I wasn’t feeling great, but I wasn’t’ feeling too terrible either. I decided to skip out on dinner and stay in the hotel since my stomach was acting a little funny. I caught up on my Journal as well as sending some emails. I also watched Harry Potter on HBO! Around 9:30, some of the girls who went out to eat brought me some rice and chicken. I ate most of it, as I was feeling better by that point. It was so thoughtful of them to bring me dinner!
After skyping with John for a little bit I headed to bed. I seem to be very tired, very early here in Vietnam. We really go, go, go all day, and then crash at night. It has definitely been worth being busy though, I have learned so much and I have had a great time.
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