Arrived Hue (pronounced Hooe`) on the 18th Nov and today is our second full day here. It has not stopped raining since arrival with different degrees of drizzle and monsoon type rain. Needless to say this has put a damper on our plans here. We have not been out and about enjoying the city very much. However, we have managed to get out (thank god we have our rain macks which saved us) and see the Citadel which is an imperial city within a city that all the royal and ministers lived in around the 17th Century. I thought it might be a little like Pompeii, but it is not nearly as nice. Nothing is maintained, the walls although you expect them to be old, you do not expect to to be covered in mould. The grounds are not well kept and all the grass and plant are wild and un-ruley. Inside of the building also really un-impressive.!!
Today we went and saw a couple of temples along the “perfume river”. I don’t know why they call it this, as it it does not smell so good. There are people who live in boats along the river. You can see people washing their dishes and clothes on the river which is very dirty (let’s just say we took the boat to the temples and I went to the toilet, and it was directed straight in to the river!!!).
The temples are quite interesting in that I do not find them a tranquil place as it is really busy inside them. People bring fruits and food and put it everywhere. There are incense being burnt in various corners, and also for some reason there are plastic toys around also. I was really hungry today and wanted to take a banana off one of the Buda temples, and George being so English did not let me do it. I am not sure what happens to the food and the fruits at nights. I hope they give it to the poor….
As far the toilets are concerned, most of the public ones are “hole on the ground”. Believe me, in occasions where I had to use them, I have found it impossible to squat, aim, etc…further more, with my bad knee, I find it hard to get up again after squatting. I have joint pains in places I didn’t know exist….!!! Joys of being a woman…….
We were going to fly to Ho Chi Min city (Saigon) tomorrow, but as it will be raining there too, we have decided to change our plans (of staying there for 3 nights) and fly from Saigon to Bangkok on the same day. So we will be in Bangkok tomorrow night and we are hoping that the BBC weather forecast is right and that it is sunny in Bangkok….
I am really upset as I studied hard to learn about Saigon and knew the history, the sights that we might want to visit, the hotel we might want to stay at, …….Now I have to go and learn all about Bangkok. Travelling is such hard work