We flew to Hue on Sunday night and toured the city on Monday. Hue was the old capital of Vietnam where the emperors used to rule. We visited the Citadel and the masoleums of three kings. While the kings were still alive, they built these beautiful pavilions and gardens by the river so that they could be buried there when they died.
I enjoyed walking around and getting lost in the gardens, imagining how life was like for royalty hundreds of years ago. I love the look of the aging structures with the cracked concrete and moss growing in between the crevices. One masoleum was surrounded by a thick forest of pine trees so that when the sun peered through the trees, the light would pierce through and spotlight certain parts of the land.
Of all the facts that the tour guide gave us, I only remember that one of the kings, Khai Dinh, had 104 concubines but didn't have any babies because he had small pox as a child. Vietnam is rich in history; it's a shame that I didn't learn about it in school or at home.
Today we took a four hour bus ride marked by constant horn honking to Hoi An, a charming small town that used to be a trading port. Most of the 200 year old buildings are still intact and cars aren't allowed on the main streets so it gives the town a slower paced feel. The wooden buildings used to be merchant houses where the Chinese and Japanese sold goods and the archiecture reflects their culture. They're painted yellow, blue and green with wooden shutters and tile roofs, some with brick exposed and moss growing on the surface.
Hoi An is known for its custom tailored clothing stores. As I was walking down the market and browsing clothing stores, a guy yelled from inside his store, "Come look in my store!" I kept walking and he came out to chace me. I turned around to see a thin man with eyeliner, women's jewelry, and red hair. He was persistent so I followed him into his sweatshop to check out his fabric so he can make me a dress. It's a big warehouse with walls of fabric, tables of 80's and 90's clothing catalogs, and women sewing clothes. Eventually we found a fabric that I liked and I told him the style that I wanted. Tomorrow I'll have my dress done. All for $25.
Tomorrow we fly to Saigon and then go to Cambodia on Thursday...which means my trip is almost coming to an end :(
3 comments:
You have GOT to see the Cu Chi tunnels. Go!
Yeah, unfortunately the American education system doesn't value the diverse histories and experiences of other ethnic groups. We get about a paragraph in the text books. Barely.
Yay Cambodia!
I would have ran away!
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