I will spare you my whinging about the Vietnam Airlines flight; it was just 55 minutes, so bearable. We landed at the very new-looking Hue International Airport, which, after two years, is still hoping to have a flight arrive from outside of Vietnam. Our first stop was for lunch, and we were joining a monastery which was run by female monks. They are based in a Pagoda, and as we moved from one room to another, we realised this was a large complex. I have to admit, though, the covered swimming pool was a surprise. It was a great introduction to the Buddhist religion, and after our vegetarian meal, we were joined by the Numero Uno Monkess, is that the right word, whatever she was, the boss and had been for two decades.
The monastery is completely voluntary, and monks can join or leave as they wish, as true Buddhists don't believe in forcing anyone. They currently offer refuge for over 100 children, and the monks provide food, a safe place to live and an education. Now the swimming pool I can hear you thinking. The monks were so alarmed by the number of people killed when the rainy season brings floods, as very few can swim. The pool was built so the monks can offer free swimming lessons to their children and anyone else in the area. Wow, no monkey business going on here. I should add that the food was great, but they are not open for bookings. They provide this service for Scenic guests as Scenic financially support the Monastery. Yet again, Julie and I are eating for a good cause.
As we continue on our journey to Hue, a couple of notable points. The skies have cleared, and the humidity and temperature have climbed. Tuan is very strict about suntan lotion, hats, and drinking lots of water, which is advice we are very happy to follow. Humidity being so high also explains why so many wear face masks. Nothing to do with sharing germs, but to reduce the amount of moisture they draw into their lungs. Perhaps a useful word of caution to those who Vape.
We have also commented on how quiet it is, especially as this is billed as high season. Well, the Gulf War has significantly impacted visitor numbers, Tuan believes, mainly because flight costs have tripled. With regards to money, a word of warning, the currency is a bloody nightmare, with 35,000 Dong equal to just £1 or 75 US cents. The problem is made worse due to only subtle differences in colour, they all have Ho Chi Minh on them and the dot denoting the move from thousands to tens and then hundreds of thousands is very difficult to make out. So far the people have been very honest and helped while I was struggling to find the right millions needed to pay a bill. Well, I think they have been honest.
We arrived in Hue at around 4:30 pm and checked into our hotel. All accommodation so far has been amazing, and this looked no different, but we soon realised it was as those from Edinburgh would say, “Lace curtains and neh knickers”. Quality is very superficial, such as thin room walls provide no so
und insulation and lighting so low in the bathroom, you look years younger. My advice is that there is better than the Silk Path Hotel, but it's fine for one night, unless you want to frequent their casino.
Sleep must have caught up with us at last, because despite the thin walls, we slept through the night. Oh joy! A leisurely 7:15 am bags outside the room and off to the Mausolium of Vietnam’s last real king. After his death, the kings that followed were called Bamboo Dragons as they were puppets of the colonial French masters and not popular with the people.
The tour was interesting, both in terms of the architecture, but also the locals who wore traditional clothes of high-born families and posed with professional photographers, some for pre-wedding and some for their social media accounts.
At the centre of the grounds was the tomb of the king, but wait, maybe not. Buddhists believe that bones/remains must not be disturbed, as the spirit after death must return many times before reincarnation. This, we were reliably informed, could take centuries. So to ensure the king's remains were preserved, 5 coffins were prepared, with 5 burial parties all taking what may have been the body to different locations. All those involved were also buried, so the true location could not be divulged. This location was a tomb for the family to worship, and like us, they had no idea if he was inside.
After the Mausolium and gardens, we had a brief stop to watch how traditional hats and incense sticks are made. What was more interesting was how they arranged the sticks like flowers to attract the interest of tourists and worshipers.
Our long road made me think of this tune. Enjoy: https://youtu.be/LQiOA7euaYA?
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