Thank God for the sleep sheets and abundant amounts of hand sanitizer we all carried! Oi choi oi! It was a bouncier and rougher ride. Despite that, we all managed to get some sleep...well...more than we expected.
After our arrival, we zipped over to our hotel. All accommodation in Vietnam so far has been damp and musty smelling and tonight's hotel is no exception. It doesn't help that it is drizzling outside either. Damp begets damp.
It is at the hotel where we meet our local guide, Tam, who will escort us around the Citadel of the old Imperial city, the Thein Mu Pagoda, Tu Duc's Mausoleum, and along our boat ride down the Perfume River.
First up, the Citadel. Emperor Gia Long moved Vietnam's capital here in the early 19th century. It was a transition that didn't end up lasting all that long. Only 20 or so buildings remain out of the 148 in the three walled enclosures. This area was heavily, heavily bombed during the Vietnam war (specifically during the 1968 Tet Offensive). That anything remains seems a near miracle. The UNESCO World Heritage site anointment in 1993 has gone a long way in helping the restoration process along.
We check out the view from the Five Phoenix Watchtower,
...before wandering up the grand pathway towards the Thai Hoa Palace where the coronations of the king would take place.
Behind the palace we enter into what remains of the Forbidden Purple City to look at what's left. Only the King and his harem were allowed here (hence the "Forbidden"). No men at all...unless you were a eunuch. We see the (now restored) opera house, and the (being restored) library.
The atmosphere here remains regal and quite tranquil. Our pace slows as our eyes wander over the remaining ancient stone, imagining the grandeur of this place in its heyday.
Reluctantly, we allow Mr. Tam to herd us back to the bus to continue the tour with a visit to the Thein Mu Pagoda. Founded in 1601 and situated on a hill overlooking the Perfume River the grounds exude a calm, centered and still energy. The seven tiered stupa (one for each level towards enlightenment - there are differences in beliefs from country to country) is lovely to behold. During the war, two monks lived inside the prayer bell for two weeks in an attempt to find a safe shelter from the bombardment.
Thitch Quang Duc was also from this pagoda. He famously self-immolated during the war in protest against the treatment of the South Vietnamese president towards the practice of Buddhism.
Lunch is nothing to write home about but we have learned that the Vietnamese serve a great coffee!
We cap our tour off with a visit to the phenomenal mausoleum of Tu Duc — Vietnam's fourth emperor (from 1847-1883). The grounds are a wonder and
seem incredibly lush in the drizzly rain. The bright green colors of the moss burst out all around us.
The boat ride along the Perfum River is fairly unremarkable. Perhaps if it is undertaken during the season of the frangipani then it would seem more worthwhile, but as it stands a bored crew drives us 20 minutes or so up the river to where we again meet up with our bus. We do see a couple of "Vietnamese submarines" as they're called due to being so low in the water when loaded with cargo.
Having learned our lesson about the hit and miss (well, more miss than hit) dining recommendations of our guide Bouna, we bust out and follow our nose (and Trip Advisor's recommendation) to Nina's Cafe where we try the local specialty of Bahn Khoai — a crispy yellow "pancake" served with shrimp and an assortment of fresh veg which you tidily wrap up in rice paper and dip into peanut sauce. Now that's what I'm talking about!!
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