Vibrant Vietnam Pt. 2

Change of Plans
The next morning the Grants and us were scheduled to leave for central Vietnam. However, Pazi wasn't feeling well and thought it was best to avoid flying. Although, Adan didn't like the idea of leaving Pazi behind, he knew it was best for her to do what her instincts told her. Pazi would end up spending the next four days traveling in and around Hanoi. She would see the Tay Ho (West Lake) district, all the wonderful restaurants and French bakeries in the area, several museums about Vietnamese history and culture, and of course the QSI Hanoi school.

As for Grants and Adan, it was off to Hue.  Hue is located in central Vietnam and played a significant role during the imperial Nguyen Dynasty (1802-1945).  Many questions marks led up to this part of the vacation because of weather conditions.  Since Typhoon Nalgae had hit Hainan Island in China, reports were saying that it would make its way to central Vietnam.  When the plane arrived late morning on Tuesday, it was wet.  After checking into the hotel, the Grants and Adan had lunch there to wait out the rain.

Finally, when it appeared that things weren't going to improve much, the three headed out to explore the city.  In no time Terese bought a rain poncho from a street vendor.  She was content and when the rain picked up again, Warren and Adan had not choice but to buy rain ponchos as well.  They only cost a couple of bucks and ended up being very useful during the first day.

After everyone was protected against the rain, the march continued on towards the Hue's most famous landmark--The Citadel.  This sprawling UNSECO site was the former imperials seat of the Vietnamese government.  It's massive in size and includes several temples, pavilions, walls, gates, a theatre, and much more.  The complex is two kilometers wide by two kilometers long and is surrounded by a moat.  It was called the Imperial City, and further inside was referred to as the Purple Forbidden city.  The name was taken from the Chinese Forbidden City in Beijing and was reserved for the Nguyen imperial family.

The Grants and Adan spent about three hours exploring the grounds.  Much of the remains are only partially intact.  This is due to US air attacks during the Vietnam War in the 60's.  The government is working feverishly to renovate the facilities, but the process appeared to be going slowly.  Additionally, during the visit, about half a dozen beauty pageant winners were doing photo shoots modeling traditional gowns at the Imperial City.  This was a nice bonus.

At the conclusion of viewing the Citadel, Terese was feeling fatigued and had a sore ankle, so she chose to go back to the hotel and rest.  Warren and Adan decided to go look for some pagoda that the guide books talked about just west of the Citadel.  Along the way, the two stopped for drinks and ended up shooting pictures of locals at a busy street corner in the process.  Finally, after searching and searching the two found the pagodas they were looking for.  They were very small and nothing like pagodas of China.  In fact, the Vietnamese pagodas were maybe four meters high as opposed to forty.

Eventually, the two made their way back to the hotel after another hour and a half of taking photos in various neighborhoods.  After washing up, everyone went down to the tourist street for dinner at a traditional Vietnamese restaurant.

Hue cont'd and Hoi An
Second and final day in Hue was set up with a tour agency to visit the most famous imperial tombs.  For less than $10 US dollars the tour included the sites of Emperors Minh Mang, Tu Duc, and, Khai Dinh.  The royal tomb of Minh Mang was first.  This location was the biggest of the three and contained forty constructions of statues, temples, pavilions, and bridges.  All of these were done on a strict symmetric axis design starting at the main gate and continuing on until the Emperor's actual tomb at the back.  Moreover, it construction began in 1841, but Minh Mang died that year and his son, Thieu Tri, buried him here.  It wasn't until 1843 that the project was completely finished. 

The grounds at this tomb are very well maintained.  Being situated near the west bank of the Perfume River added to the aesthetics of the scenery.  Also, because the complex is so spacious, the environment is very peaceful and pleasant here.  Of course things do change when high season for tourism picks up. 

The second tomb was of  Khai Dinh.  This site is quite extravagant in comparison to the others.  Located in the Chau Chu mountains, construction of this tomb began in the early 1920's and lasted eleven years!  Khai Dinh chose to make a smaller resting place (just 117m x 48.5m), but have it be the most exquisite of all the royal tombs.  The design of this tomb is a mix between European and Asian architecture, both the exterior and interior.  The outside has a very mansion-like appearance, while the inside is full of incredible mosaics that cover the walls top to bottom.  Terese was very impressed with this complex and said it was her favorite.  It definitely lived up to the hype of being the most elaborate tomb of the bunch.

Lastly, the tour visited the tomb of Tu Duc.  This landmark is very large (12 hectares), unfortunately there wasn't enough time to see everything.  The makeup of this tomb is a boundless forest of pine trees.  Moreover, there is a lake and several wooden structures that show Tu Duc's emphasis on creating an atmosphere focused on nature and areas for pondering.  It took from 1864 until 1867 to complete.  Warren and Adan were very disappointed more time wasn't allotted to visit the many areas of this complex.  This was definitely one of those moments were the cons of a large tour group come into play.

The tour ended after visiting this last tomb, and with just enough time to get lunch before taking the long distance bus to Hoi An.  It took 4.5 hours to get to this next destination, however for $8 bucks a head it's hard to complain.  The scenery was said to be spectacular on the rout down the Vietnam coastline, however the bus took an alternate route away from the sea.  The most unique feature of the alternate route is the massive  Hai Van tunnel, 6.28 kilometers (nearly 4 miles) in length, said to be the longest in Southeast Asia.

Finally, after arriving in Hoi An, the Grants and Adan set out to find their hotel, Huy Hoang River Hotel.  It wasn't easy, but with the help of locals they found it.  The hotel is located along the Thuy Bon River.  Upon arriving the desk attendant gave the group great news.  She upgraded the rooms from deluxe to superior, meaning that private balconies and bigger rooms would be complimentary.  It was a nice gesture and made all the difference during the two night stay.

Hoi An, another UNESCO Heritage Site, is a very charming Vietnamese city full of history and culture.  Warren and Adan had a heyday here finding lots of photo ops.  This town, formerly called the "Old Town of Hoi An," was once a major international port during the 16th and 17th centuries.  Inevitably, foreign influences played a major role in the makeup of this community and it's most visible in the people and architecture.  Furthermore, it's no secret that Hoi An is a nice place to visit when vacationing in Vietnam and masses of foreigners are constantly in sight.

The entire two days here for the Grants and Adan was touring the city on foot and by bike.  The street blocks and neighborhoods make it so easy to navigate.  The tourism centers stationed around the city offer 5-Visit Passes that enable visitors to pay one fee and gain access to five unique tourist sites.  The majority of these locations were clan homes, museums, temples, and a famous bridge.  For 90,000 dong ($5 US), it was a fairly cost reasonable. 

The highlights of the visit, without a doubt, included seeing the Japanese Covered Bridge (built by Japanese settlers in the 1600s), Bach Dang Street's Central Market, Cantonese Assembly Hall (built by Chinese expats in 1885 with lots of ornate statuary), Hokien/Fujian Meeting Hall (established in 1757 by Chinese expats), and the amazing French colonial-style buildings that line the streets. 

Additionally, the food was excellent in Hoi An.  A noteworthy restaurant is called Hong Phuc Cafe Restaurant.  They served the best spring rolls and banana leaf steamed snapper!

*Fun fact about Hoi An:  It is said that some 400 hundred tailor shops do business in "Old Town."  Judging by the unbelievable number of shop fronts, this has to be true.

Back to Hanoi
After the two days of adventures in Hoi An, the Grants and Adan traveled a short 40 minute ride to the Danang Airport for a quick one hour and ten minute flight back to Hanoi.  At this point in the trip it was Friday.  It was time to get back to seeing the Porters and Pazi one last day before everyone needed to go their separate ways. 

The trip ended with all three couples having a magnificent Moroccan dinner together Friday night and a fabulous French breakfast Saturday morning before saying goodbye. 

The Porters were superb hosts and hanging out with them and the Grants made for a fantastic holiday week.