Hue in a day
Tuesday was not a great day. For starters our ride to Hue was a no show until I put in a call to our tour operator. When his driver did show up, almost an hour late, it was clear that he spoke little or no English and that he assumed his job was to take us to the airport. A few texts and WhatsApp chats later he set off for what was, to him, an unplanned trip to Hue.
Obviously realizing he had two rather pissed off passengers he took us on a meandering trip through Da Nang, stopping at Marble Mountain, a local tourist spot in the hopes that this would offset our frustration. A few photo ops later and we set off for Hue following a coastal road for several kilometres. The road ultimately turned inland and we began a slow winding climb into the mountains.
By the time we reached the Van Hoi Pass the road ahead was almost obliterated by a dense mist. Stopping at the highest point of the pass, visibility was down to less than 100 feet, totally obscuring our surroundings. After several minutes the mist lifted allowing us to see the ocean, several km below us. A stone tower also came into view as we set off on a brief walk to get a better view.
The Hoi Van gate was part of the defence system protecting
Vietnam in the 1840’s.
After a few photos we resumed our journey to Hue, descending fairly quickly into areas adjacent to the sea where a number of fish farms were in operation.
An unexpected flat tire brought our journey to a halt for almost an hour. Luckily the vehicle had a full size spare but I do not believe the driver has ever changed a tire. The crappy jack supplied by Hyundai kept him busy raising the car while my hiking boots came in handy for stomping on the tire iron to remove the almost seized on wheel nuts. My recent hernia incision was not a willing participant in the exercise and I’ve been paying for it ever since. Hopefully I can forgo any medical intervention before we fly home.
We arrived in Hue and it took a while to discover the exact location of our hotel, the Serene Palace as it was tucked away in a small alley not readily visible from the Main Street. The driver took a few minutes negotiating the narrow path as it was blocked with several scooters and cars.
The staff greeted us with fruit juices and a plate of fresh fruit- bananas, dragon fruit etc. While they checked our passports,
After checking into our room on the 4th floor we had a quick meal at the hotel restaurant and set off to explore.
The main attraction of the city is the Imperial City ( Citadel) located across the river. Amazingly we managed to survive the trip without getting run over by the thousands of scooter and moped riders as we made our way there.
As our tour the following day included admission to the Citadel we simply admired the main gate for a while before returning to the hotel by way of a riverside walkway where a large number of street food vendors were plying their trade.
Obviously realizing he had two rather pissed off passengers he took us on a meandering trip through Da Nang, stopping at Marble Mountain, a local tourist spot in the hopes that this would offset our frustration. A few photo ops later and we set off for Hue following a coastal road for several kilometres. The road ultimately turned inland and we began a slow winding climb into the mountains.
By the time we reached the Van Hoi Pass the road ahead was almost obliterated by a dense mist. Stopping at the highest point of the pass, visibility was down to less than 100 feet, totally obscuring our surroundings. After several minutes the mist lifted allowing us to see the ocean, several km below us. A stone tower also came into view as we set off on a brief walk to get a better view.
Vietnam in the 1840’s.
After a few photos we resumed our journey to Hue, descending fairly quickly into areas adjacent to the sea where a number of fish farms were in operation.
An unexpected flat tire brought our journey to a halt for almost an hour. Luckily the vehicle had a full size spare but I do not believe the driver has ever changed a tire. The crappy jack supplied by Hyundai kept him busy raising the car while my hiking boots came in handy for stomping on the tire iron to remove the almost seized on wheel nuts. My recent hernia incision was not a willing participant in the exercise and I’ve been paying for it ever since. Hopefully I can forgo any medical intervention before we fly home.
We arrived in Hue and it took a while to discover the exact location of our hotel, the Serene Palace as it was tucked away in a small alley not readily visible from the Main Street. The driver took a few minutes negotiating the narrow path as it was blocked with several scooters and cars.
The staff greeted us with fruit juices and a plate of fresh fruit- bananas, dragon fruit etc. While they checked our passports,
After checking into our room on the 4th floor we had a quick meal at the hotel restaurant and set off to explore.
The main attraction of the city is the Imperial City ( Citadel) located across the river. Amazingly we managed to survive the trip without getting run over by the thousands of scooter and moped riders as we made our way there.
As our tour the following day included admission to the Citadel we simply admired the main gate for a while before returning to the hotel by way of a riverside walkway where a large number of street food vendors were plying their trade.
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