In Hue, I figured I’d make the most of the morning and get a tour of the city by motorcycle. We hit a temple where the monks apparently practice kung fu. My driver/guide pointed to one monk and told me he was “very good kung fu” – but he had his arm in a cast, so who can say for sure. Next stop was Bunker Hill. The driver jumped on top of one of the bunkers and asked me to join him. I did, and he pointed with great admiration at the view of the river below us. Quite nice. I took a photo, then let him take one of me. The hill was pretty dull – there were some tombstones, but that’s about it. I thought Bunker Hill was in Massachusetts, so who knows.
We visited a pagoda next. Same as most of the other pagodas I’d seen. I didn’t waste much time there. My driver was waiting outside, not even done his cigarette by the time I returned. I told him to take his time, and checked out some of the seller’s stalls – but the Vietnamese are far too desperate for a sale, all grabbing at me to get me to look at their items (which are the same as everyone elses).
Next we visited the citadel, which I’d seen from the from the bus. It could have been Lucca, Italy from the exterior, but inside was a bit different. Much of the citadel had been destroyed by the American’s in the war, so there really wasn’t too much to it. I had an hour to spend there, so I walked around, grabbed a pepsi in honour of Wayne’s birthday, then headed back to the driver.
Next stop was Ho Chi Minh’s childhood home, which was definitely not worth the trip. I feigned a bit of interest, but there really wasn’t much to it. I got to see the river he used to swim in though.
Back at the bus station I grabbed a half baguette that was so good, I had to order another. The bus to Hoi An was also uneventful – I saw the U.K couple that I’ve been following since Laos, but otherwise there isn’t much to say. In Hoi An I checked out a few hotels, then settled on one next to where I got dropped off. Seemed convenient enough.
I wandered through the old town, trying to get a feel for the place. There are a bunch of tailors in the area, and you can order a suit in the morning and pick it up in the evening. I’ve lost a little bit of weight in my travels, I think, but I don’t imagine it’ll be too long till I fill out the suit I had made in Shanghai.At night I flipped through the tv to see if there was anything on, but my book was far more appealing. I read for a bit, then slept – looking forward to sleep in an actual bed.