After a night on the train, we got to the gorgeous Hue Gar in the morning. A short walk to Hotel Azerai, where we found our room ready early so we got to shower and leave our bags. Then we set off for a full day tour with Khanh Hong, an excellent guide who speaks both English and French flawlessly.
We got a quick coffee to brighten our spirits, then walked through the imperial capital. It felt much like the Forbidden City in Beijing, with a similar level of detailed history. Geomancy, numerology, everything is symbolic. We were very impressed by the tile work, and the delicate restorations after much of the place was destroyed by bombardment during the war in 1968.
We had lunch at a place Kanh recommended where we could get local specialities. We got Banh Xeo, a crispy crepe with shrimp, and Banh nam, a very soft rice dough topped with shrimp paste. Both were excellent, and we’ll struggle to find them back in Boston.
In the afternoon, we toured a royal tomb with a lovely manufactured landscape and poetry carved on stelae. It was gorgeous, but hot and I am fading, so we returned to the hotel for a swim and nap.
Once the heat of the day passed, we walked along the corniche to get an evening cocktail at Le Cercle where theiroutdoor terrace overlooks the Perfume river and Gustav Eiffel designed bridge.
We had dinner at a bar on sitting on the street, where we got delicious crispy pork cracklins, shrimp soup, and some fried tofu. I was tired, and so we hopped in a tricycle for a ride back. It ended up being more of a tour than we wanted, and I was offered drugs as soon as Ruth was out of earshot. I demurred, but it was an educational reminder about the different kinds of entertainment available.
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